Delicious leftover turkey recipes. Make the most of your festive bird in turkey soups, salads and hot dishes.
Roast turkey is a big favourite with many families, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Getting the cooking right is the first thing - check here, to find out How Long to Cook a Turkey. But after the feast, there’s always the question – how to use the leftovers?
And you're almost certain to have leftovers. Turkey goes a long way, and 8-9lb weight, which is what I buy to feed 5-6 people at Christmas lunch, is about the smallest you can buy. A bird that size will feed 6 people for two good meals, and still give you some leftovers.
Fortunately, turkey is very versatile, and there are plenty of recipes using turkey leftovers to try.
LEFTOVER TURKEY RECIPES: COLD DISHES
Turkey sandwich recipes Use generous slices of moist and juicy turkey breast. Try turkey in ciabatta rolls, baguettes, between thick slices of warmed wholemeal bread, or sandwiched in toast. Pair the meat with other ingredients, such as:
shredded salad leaves
thinly sliced avocado or onion
tomatoes and cucumber
fine slices of cooked ham
crumbled crispy bacon
sliced hardboiled egg
sliced blue cheese
Add extra flavour with mustard, cranberry sauce, leftover turkey stuffing, pickles, mayonnaise, sliced gherkins, or radishes.
Use both white and dark meat. Cube the leftover turkey, or shred it for an oriental-style salad. Try these turkey salad variations:
Toss with toasted, unsalted cashews, sliced fresh mango and baby salad leaves. Dress with a light vinaigrette.
Mix with cubed avocado, thinly sliced yellow and red pepper, canned sweetcorn or baby corn and halved cherry tomatoes. Dress with olive oil blended with lime juice and chilli.
Cook thin rice noodles and cool. Stir through shredded turkey breast meat, shredded lettuce and spring onions (scallions), matchstick slices of carrot and cucumber, and dress with a well-blended mixture of 2 parts light soy sauce to 1 part sweet chilli sauce.
Cook and cool cous-cous. Stir through chunks of turkey, diced red pepper, canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed), cubes of feta cheese and a few stoned black olives. Dress with a lemony vinaigrette.
Mix curry paste into low calorie mayonnaise and use to dress cubed turkey. Serve on a bed of spinach leaves, with a rice salad.
Turkey pasta Mix diced turkey into a rich tomato sauce and serve with rice or pasta.
Curried turkey Turkey makes a great curry – see these chicken curry recipes for inspiration. Serve with rice and naan bread.
Tarragon turkey Add cubed turkey to a white sauce made with semi-skimmed milk. Flavour with tarragon, add sweetcorn and mushrooms. Put in a pie dish, top with pastry and bake. For an even easier version, top with mashed potatoes and brown in the oven.
Leafy stir-fry Add shredded turkey to stir fries, made with shredded Chinese leaves, onions and other vegetables, and served with noodles.
Chinese turkey Cook diced turkey with mangetout, onion, baby corn and beansprouts. Coat with sweet/sour sauce made from orange juice, soy sauce and a little honey, thickened with corn flour.
Turkey hash This dish is a great standby. Saute chopped onions and peppers, add diced turkey and cook through. Make hollows in mixture, break an egg into each one and cook under hot grill or bake in oven until set. Serve with crusty bread and a tomato salad.
Turkey leftovers recipes: food safety tips Make sure your leftover turkey recipes are safe and healthy.
Don’t leave your turkey standing around in a warm kitchen for too long after carving. Cover and refrigerate as soon as possible.
Use leftovers within 3 days. Don’t think you’ll get through them all? Carve off and freeze slices on the same day as cooking. They’ll store well for 1-2 months.
Follow the golden rule on reheating – once, and once only! A cooked item that’s reheated more than once can harbour bacteria which could make you seriously ill.
Make sure reheated dishes are cooked right through and served piping hot.
Too many leftovers? Next time, buy a smaller turkey instead of being tempted by a bird that’s far too big.
