what to cook when you have leftover turkey

sandwiches are not the only answer.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

While we’re sad not to be home in North Carolina with family, we’re so thankful that our friends invited us to spend Thanksgiving with their family, who we adore, up in Marin County. They are all subscribers to this newsletter and we are probably all sitting around together right now so… hey guys! What should we eat next?!

The day after Thanksgiving, my mom always whips out her gigantic pot that looks exactly like the one in the photo below. She makes enough Wild Rice and Turkey soup to feed a small army, and it’s what we eat for the next week straight, because we’re all so burnt out from cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey soup is delicious, but it is not the only answer. Soup plus some more unconventional ideas are below.

InstantPot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup //

This version cooks the chicken from raw, but you can just skip that step, and stir in cooked leftover turkey at the end. If you don’t have an InstantPot, just throw everything in a covered pot and simmer it until the rice is cooked!

Turkey Tikka Masala //

Again, instead of using raw chicken, just shred about 3 cups of cooked turkey, and stir it in at the end just to warm it through.

Green Turkey Enchiladas //

Shred 1 1/2 cups of cooked turkey and combine it in a bowl with the salsa verde and other filling ingredients. Proceed with the recipe as written.

Broccoli Cheddar Turkey Pot Pie //

Just use turkey instead of chicken! YUM.

Turkey Sliders //

I made “sliders” like this all the time — if it’s not turkey time I’ll use sliced deli ham, sliced turkey, or shredded rotisserie chicken. If there’s no cranberry sauce lurking in the fridge, fig jam is a delicious swap.

Souvla-Inspired Salad //

Last Sunday’s salad would be a DELICIOUS way to use up leftover turkey. If the turkey seems dry, just shred it and toss it with a bit of dressing before adding it to the salad.