12 Ways To Give That Leftover Turkey A Delicious Makeover

After spending hours preparing your holiday feast you are most often left with days of meals of leftover turkey. If you find yourself getting tired of cold turkey sandwiches, then try these creative ways to give all that leftover turkey a makeover.

Turkey Chili

Sautee diced red onions, green peppers and fresh garlic in olive oil in a larger pot. Add diced turkey, chili powder, oregano, basil, parsley, cumin, cooked pinto beans, diced tomatoes and turkey broth to the pot. Simmer the chili, uncovered, until the gravy becomes slightly thickened.

Curry Turkey Salad

Chop up leftover turkey and toss with plain Greek-style yogurt, scallions, dried cranberries and curry powder. Spread the salad mixture on bread, crackers or over greens, such as lettuce, spinach or kale. To improve the flavor of the curry turkey salad, chill in the refrigerator for two hours before serving.

BBQ Turkey

Mix diced turkey with your favorite homemade or store bought barbeque sauce. Heat and serve hot, or cold, on Kaiser or hero rolls, or even plain bread. Allow the turkey to marinate in the barbeque sauce overnight to enhance its flavor.

Turkey Parmesan

Simmer slices of turkey in your favorite tomato or spaghetti sauce, in a skillet, until heated through. Top the turkey with sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese, cover and remove the skillet from the heat. Allow the cheese time to melt and serve as a side dish with spaghetti or on Kaiser or hero rolls.

Turkey Pizza

Cut up leftover turkey into bite sized pieces for a healthy pizza topping. Combine with green peppers, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and shredded mozzarella cheese. You can use a prebaked pizza crust or make a pizza crust from scratch by mixing 2 cups of flour, a tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and rapid rising yeast.

Turkey Croquettes

Beat equal amounts of whole eggs and milk together in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Mix cut up turkey, mashed potatoes and turkey stuffing together in a small bowl and roll out spoon-sized balls with your hands. Briefly dip the balls into the egg and milk mixture, dredge in toasted bread crumbs and then fry in hot olive or peanut oil until brown.

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Grind up cooked leftover turkey in a food processor until the meat looks like uncooked chopped meat. Mix the ground turkey with cooked rice, chopped onions and your favorite tomato or spaghetti sauce. Spoon the turkey and rice filling into hollowed out bell peppers and bake in an oven safe dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes and top with grated cheese.

Turkey Gumbo

Combine cut up turkey with onions, garlic, okra, tomato sauce, olive oil and a little hot pepper sauce. Simmer the mixture in a large pot until the gumbo becomes thick. Serve the gumbo over rice, in a bowl, topped with grated or shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Homemade Turkey Soups

Simmer all the bones from the turkey in a large pot until any reaming meat comes off easily with a fork. Sautee chopped onions, celery, carrots and fresh or frozen peas in butter and add to the pot. Add cut up turkey pieces and simmer the soup over medium heat until the stock has been reduced to your satisfaction.

Hot Turkey Sandwiches

Cover diced leftover turkey with gravy and heat in a saucepan or a microwaveable bowl. While the turkey is heating, place two slices of your favorite bread in the toaster; if you don’t toast the bread the gravy will turn the bread into a soggy mess. Spoon the turkey and gravy mixture over the toast and top with parsley, cilantro or grated cheese and serve hot.

Turkey Burgers

Grind up two cups of chopped cooked turkey in a food processor until the meat looks like uncooked chopped meat. Mix the ground turkey with one cup of seasoned bread crumbs and two well beaten eggs. Make patties out of the turkey and breadcrumb mixture and then bake or fry in olive oil until golden brown and serve on hamburger rolls.

Turkey Stuffed Squash

For the perfectly delicious dish to relive the Thanksgiving magic in a unique way, stuff halves of sweet dumpling or acorn squash with turkey, onions, stuffing, cranberries, and white wine. Add stock one they’re on a baking dish, and roast them until tender.