The only thing tougher than making Thanksgiving dinner without ending up with a dry turkey? Finishing the leftovers. What the heck are you supposed to do with pounds of leftover meat and a seemingly endless supply of stuffing? Well, we have a few ideas. Here, 47 leftover turkey recipes that will make you actually crave the holiday bird all over again.
Need an alternative Thanksgiving Meal?
The Monterey jack, jalapeño and red enchilada sauce are expected. But the roasted pepitas are a seasonal surprise.
Eight ingredients, eight servings, one hour. Go ahead, call your local pizzeria and brag away.
Our favorite thing about this crowd-pleaser? It’s made with pantry staples you likely already have.
Psst, it’s basically a caprese sandwich with lots of extra bells and whistles…including avocado.
You’ve done it before: turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a drizzle of gravy on bread. This time, do it right with a ton of cheese, Brussels sprouts…and a fried egg.
All these beauties are missing is a pile of shredded turkey on top.
Sorry, not sorry. We’ll never get over this bacony dish, starring a creamy Parmesan sauce.
Shredded turkey breast is our go-to after Thanksgiving, but a pound of ground turkey can fill in during the off-season.
This sandwich is loaded with goat cheese, Muenster and sage. Throw in some leftover sweet potatoes if your bread is sturdy enough.
Never had tetrazzini? It’s basically white wine cream sauce, meat, mushrooms and pasta, so it’s pretty much bound to be delicious.
Ground beef so doesn’t have dibs on this St. Patrick’s Day classic.
Because literally *everything* tastes good on sweet Hawaiian rolls. Especially tangy cranberry sauce and Dijonnaise.
Baby, it’s cold outside. Luckily, this recipe will warm you up in 30 minutes.
Complete with Creole seasoning and Andouille sausage.
Think summer is pasta salad season? You’re about to eat your words.
These sammies are finished with Worcestershire-Dijon butter. So yeah, we’ll take three.
This might be a great way to get rid of thin-sliced leftover turkey, but deli slices will work too.
Every Thanksgiving side makes a cameo here, from the cornbread to the green beans.
Come on. How can you resist those adorable pie-crust stars?
Pomegranate salsa, cotija cheese and avocado make for a gorgeous finishing touch. Go ahead and throw some crumbled tortilla chips on top, too.
Have Havarti, will travel.
Finish this festively-stuffed croissant skillet with a few runny eggs and voilà: You’ve got brunch.
They have apple slaw, cranberry sauce and shredded turkey, but screw it. We’re making ’em no matter what season it is.
You may want to stock up on frozen corn, carrots and peas. Your kids will be begging to have this for dinner again, like tomorrow.
The two most important dishes on your holiday table in one ooey-gooey dish.
Excuse us, we have a date with butternut squash and homemade cranberry salsa.
Just swap the chicken thighs for leftover shredded turkey and you’re in business. A side of cornbread won’t hurt either.
TBH, we’ll eat anything that’s topped with cheese and wrapped in a tortilla.
All you need is 15 minutes to tackle this pecan- and apple-speckled gem.
Bust this recipe out every time one of your kid’s catch cold. It’s just like grandma’s chicken version.
Anything ground turkey can do shredded turkey can do better.
Sure, you can make one pot pie in a giant skillet. But minis baked in ramekins or tiny skillets are so much cuter.
There’s no cure for a blustery November night like a soul-warming bowl of this stuff. BTW, the dumplings are made of airy mashed potatoes instead of traditional dough.
Sourdough and tangy cranberry sauce are the ideal pair for cheese and savory roast turkey.
Meet orecchiette’s new best friend. Swap ground turkey for shredded—it can definitely handle all that fennel.
Believe it or not, homemade teriyaki sauce is a lot easier to whip up than you might think. It’s mostly made from pantry staples, like garlic and ginger.
That’s right, pineapple on pizza. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it, folks.
OK, this is a wild idea. But the filling is just right for burritos if bell peppers aren’t your thing. Just saying.
The recipe calls for chicken, but cranberries are pretty much turkey’s bae at this point. So, we’ll definitely be trading one bird for another.
For those times when you can’t decide between taco night and pasta night. Trade tortillas for shells and go all in with the fixin’s.
Curry powder gives this masterpiece an extra dose of warm, fall-inspired spice.
Sick of turkey? The leftover Thanksgiving ham hock also wants in on this soul food staple.
Never underestimate the power of a pretty lunch.
Friends fans, this one’s for you. In case you don’t know, a moist maker is a leftovers sandwich with a gravy-soaked slice of bread in the middle. You can thank us later.
We honestly wouldn’t blame you if you served these for a Thanksgiving entrée instead of a whole bird.
OK, this staple gets a bad rap. This recipe will remind you why you packed turkey sandwiches for lunch in the first place.
The leftover goat cheese from Thanksgiving cocktail hour is ready for its second life.
