Don’t wish to eat one other chunk of leftover turkey after the vacation? I received you! Make turkey freezer meals with the leftovers so that you could purchase your self a while and avoid wasting cash.
From soups to salads to sandwiches to burritos to flautas to casseroles, there’s no finish to the tasty methods you should use up leftover turkey. You’re going to want you had cooked an even bigger chicken!
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Acquired turkey? As in, plenty of leftover turkey from a big meal?
Plainly yearly is completely different. One yr you won’t have a sufficiently big turkey at Thanksgiving, and there actually aren’t any leftovers to talk of.
Different years? You may need turkey popping out your ears. Oh boy! What do you have to with all that turkey?
Personally, I’ll take slices of turkey breast on rye bread with a slather of mayo and a sprinkling of salt. If you happen to’ve by no means tried this combo, you will need to. It’s tremendous easy, however so superb.
However then what?
When you’ve exhausted the “reheat and eat” and the plain sandwich choices, whaddya do? It’s vital to not let that turkey go to waste.
Why It Issues
Utilizing up leftover turkey helps you keep away from meals waste. Meals waste prices us in some ways, however the way in which you’ll really feel it most at house is in your pocket e-book. If you happen to can cease losing meals, you’ll be able to divert funds to extra wanted areas, in addition to groceries.
Making turkey freezer meals saves you time. If you happen to take a couple of minutes after the feast to prep the leftover turkey for freezing, you should use it in every kind of recipes (like all those that decision for cooked hen) within the weeks to come back. You’ll save a lot time over the vacations!
It’s scrumptious! Leftover turkey may be scrumptious if it’s ready nicely. Don’t let it sit behind the fridge. Freeze it instantly if you happen to can’t dissipate the leftover turkey inside 2 to three days.
Thanksgiving is about being grateful. Letting leftover turkey go to waste appears counter to the entire level of Thanksgiving. Let’s lengthen this harvest of bounty to some extra meals — even if you happen to freeze them for later.
Suggestions for Storing Leftover Turkey
How lengthy is leftover turkey good for within the fridge?
Ready meals is sweet within the fridge for as much as 4 days. If you happen to cook dinner your turkey on Thursday, it must be suitable for eating by Monday.
Can leftover turkey be frozen?
Freezing your turkey leftovers is a good way to keep away from waste and provides your self a break from turkey.
If you happen to simply don’t wish to take care of it proper now, stash all of it within the freezer. Trim the meat off the bones and bundle it nicely in freezer luggage or hermetic containers. You may even bundle the bones to make inventory at a future date. Simply don’t neglect you’ve received it within the freezer.
In per week or two, you’ll be able to thaw the turkey and use it in your favourite recipes that decision for cooked and chopped hen or turkey.
Are you able to freeze turkey after 3 days?
The freezer doesn’t magically make meals more energizing. It solely slows the enzyme motion. If you happen to freeze your turkey quickly after cooking, you need to have a strong 2-3 days to make use of it after thawing.
Nonetheless, if you happen to freeze your turkey close to the tip of the 4-day window, you’ll must be sure you use it instantly once you do pull it from the freezer.
Try this nice information about Meals Security Fundamentals from the USDA.
Recipes for Leftover Turkey
Any recipe that requires cooked hen may be a good way to make use of up leftover turkey and it’s good to incorporate in an at-home salad bar. However there are additionally a great deal of recipes you’ll be able to add turkey to.
I’ve curated these leftover turkey recipes in such a method you could freeze both the turkey prepared so as to add, all of the prepped substances as a package, or the prepped dish in its entirety.
Whenever you make freezer meals with leftover turkey, you save time and keep away from meals waste! Listed below are a few of our faves:
Freeze the Turkey Prepped to Add to These Recipes
Chilly salads and sandwiches aren’t usually good candidates for freezing. However, you’ll be able to chop, shred, or slice your leftover turkey after which freeze it in meal-size packages to make use of within the following recipes.
Ginger-Sesame Turkey Salad
Dish up a scrumptious salad made with cooked turkey breast and tossed with a tangy ginger-sesame dressing.
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Cranberry Hen Salad
With tender hen breast, celery, dried cranberries, and a tangy poppy seed dressing, this basic Cranberry Hen Salad is a deal with!
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Hen Salad Sandwiches with Cucumber
Able to stand up and go? Be sure to economize in your lunch invoice by packing up some simple Hen Salad Sandwiches with crisp, crunchy cucumbers.
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Hen Salad Lettuce Wraps
Get pleasure from a easy, scrumptious hen salad loaded with apples and almonds on this simple recipe for Hen Salad Lettuce Wraps.
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Hen Salad Membership Sandwiches
Sandwich Night time will turn into one thing tremendous particular once you prime creamy hen salad with bacon on this Hen Salad Membership Sandwich.
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Orchard Hen Salad
Get pleasure from contemporary fruits, spicy scallions, crunchy almonds, and tender hen on this scrumptious and refreshing Orchard Hen Salad. Excellent for sandwiches, salads, or lettuce wraps.
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Cajun Hen Salad
This creamy hen salad will get a kick from a customized mix and crunch from crisp celery. It’s nice in lettuce wraps or on rolls.
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Curry Hen Salad Lettuce Wraps
Get pleasure from a lunch or dinner full of taste with this Curry Hen Salad served in Lettuce Wraps. It’s very make-ahead and tremendous scrumptious.
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Chipotle Turkey Baguettes
Layer tender turkey with lettuce, tomato, and a creamy chipotle mayo for a tasty chipotle turkey baguette sandwich that may rival one of the best sandwich outlets!
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Turkey Cheddar Soften with Grilled Onions and Spicy Mayo
Melted cheddar, thick-sliced turkey, grilled onions, and spicy mayo mix right into a scorching and filling sandwich. So good!
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Turkey and Ham Cobb Salad
A Cobb Salad is filled with taste so it by no means want be boring. This one with ham and turkey will get dressed up with bacon and leeks.
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Italian Hen Pasta Salad
Busy evening? Seize a bowl of this make-ahead Italian Hen Pasta Salad. It’s simple to make and full of taste.
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Hen Bacon Ranch Salad
Get pleasure from a cool and simple lunch or dinner with this Hen Bacon Ranch Salad. It’s stuffed with hen, bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers.
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Hen & Raspberry Salad
Tender hen, juicy raspberries, and tangy goat cheese get collectively to social gathering on this easy but flavorful Hen & Raspberry Salad. No want for a restaurant salad right this moment once you’ve received this happening!
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Hen Caesar Sandwiches
Hen Caesar Baguette Sandwiches are simply what you anticipate – fast and easy deliciousness tucked into French bread. They’re a enjoyable, moveable twist on a classic basic.
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Asian Hen Noodle Salad
Cool off with this tremendous simple, tremendous make-ahead Asian Hen Noodle Salad. It’s stuffed with crisp, crunchy veggies, hearty hen, and a tasty dressing.
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Recipes to Make as a Package
Some recipes do higher frozen as freezer meal kits. That’s to say, some or all the components are packaged and frozen recipe-ready, to be assembled later.
Making a freezer meal package with leftover turkey is a good way to avoid wasting your self time whereas additionally giving your self versatility in including contemporary substances or ensuring noodles don’t go soggy.
These leftover turkey recipes are nice for making into kits:
Hen Minestrone
This simple hen minestrone soup mixes up in minutes with simply 5 primary substances. It is scrumptious and filling with out feeling heavy, good any time of yr for lunch or dinner.
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Turkey and Rice Soup
Turkey and Rice Soup is among the finest consolation meals, that includes turkey, rice, spicy sausage, and veggies. Excellent for vacation leftovers!
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Creamy Hen Pasta with Bacon
This Creamy Hen Pasta dish is sauced with sherry with cream and dotted with bacon, tomatoes, and peas. It’s completely scrumptious!
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Spaghetti Squash Jambalaya
Spaghetti Squash Jambalaya simply could also be certainly one of my favourite low carb recipes. Sizzling and spicy with a contact of sweetness from the squash, it’s the proper wholesome supper.
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Pulled Hen Sliders
Pulled hen with a do-it-yourself seasoning mix makes for good social gathering meals or a straightforward dinner of Pulled Hen Sliders. These Hen and Cheese Sliders are the proper dinner for busy nights – made in about half-hour if you happen to use the strain cooker!
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Candy and Bitter Shredded Hen Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Let your sluggish cooker do the work with a straightforward candy and bitter pulled hen filling good for sandwiches and wraps. This easy crockpot recipe will prevent money and time!
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Hen Burrito Bowls
Overlook the flamboyant taco store and it is excessive priced burrito bowls. You can also make your individual — higher and for much less! Pack these Hen Burrito Bowls with Chipotle Crema for lunch this week.
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Hen Fried Rice
Acquired leftover cooked hen and rice? You then’ve received the makings of an important meal. This hen fried rice is tremendous simple to make and higher than takeout!
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Sheetpan Nachos
Feed a crowd and your starvation for loaded nachos multi function fell swoop. This Sheetpan Nachos recipe can have you set for fulfillment.
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Moo Shu Hen
Moo Shu Hen is a straightforward and scrumptious meal you could make forward to freeze. A riff on conventional Moo Shu Pork, hen lightens the dish, whereas flour tortillas make issues simple.
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Recipes You Can Freeze
One of the best form of freezer meal is the sort you could make in its entirety and stash within the freezer for an evening sooner or later.
These simple dinner recipes are good for prepping with leftover turkey:
Sizzling Turkey Pesto Sandwiches
Sizzling Turkey Pesto Sandwiches are tremendous enjoyable sandwiches to make. These Turkey Pesto Panini are uber-comforting, freezer-friendly, and nice for potlucks! Seize the recipe and get urgent these gooey, tacky, scrumptious, pesto-infused sandwiches.
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Bitter Cream Hen Enchilada Casserole Recipe
Boost your night with this scorching and tacky Hen Enchilada Casserole. You may whip it up in a flash — and make an additional to freeze.
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Inexperienced Hen Enchiladas with Cream Cheese
Enchiladas are an ideal meal. Don’t purchase frozen and don’t exit. Make these at residence and benefit from the financial savings and the wonderful taste.
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Selfmade Hen Enchiladas with Roasted Chiles
Internet hosting a crowd? Serve two massive pans of do-it-yourself hen enchiladas with freshly roasted chiles. No crowd? No downside. Stash one pan within the freezer for an additional time.
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Creamy Turkey Enchiladas
Fold cooked turkey into corn tortillas and prime with this creamy do-it-yourself sauce for one of the best turkey enchiladas ever to fulfill Thanksgiving leftovers.
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Freezer Burritos
Ever been tempted by the contents of the frozen meals aisle? It will likely be simple to simply say NO once you’ve made your individual do-it-yourself burritos for the freezer.
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Hen Flautas Recipe
Much like taquitos, flautas are little flutes of tortilla rolled and crammed with one thing scrumptious, on this case, seasoned hen and cheese.
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Turkey Pot Pie with Straightforward Biscuit Topping
Turkey, greens, and gravy make a luscious filling for a straightforward biscuit topping on this easy turkey pot pie.
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White Bean Hen Chili
This simple white bean hen chili comes collectively rapidly however is full of taste.
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Hen Pesto Pizza
Get pleasure from a more healthy pizza evening this week with this do-it-yourself Hen Pesto Pizza with Recent Avocado that includes a complete wheat crust.
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Hen and Biscuit Pizza
This 30-minute pizza has a fast biscuit crust and a scrumptious alfredo type sauce topped with hen and cheese. Like hen and biscuits on pizza.
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Hen Gumbo Soup
Hen Gumbo Soup, that childhood favourite from the red-labeled can is now inside your attain – do-it-yourself, tastier, and higher for you!
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Grandma’s Hen Noodle Soup Recipe
This Hen Noodle Soup Recipe, similar to Grandma used to make, is a straightforward and economical dish. Fire up a pot of hen broth with tender egg noodles, chunks of tender hen, and slivers of contemporary greens.
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BBQ Hen Pizza with Bacon & Pineapple
Make Pizza Night time out of this world this week with a BBQ Hen Pizza with Bacon & Pineapple – so easy, good, and full of taste. Simply be sure you make a couple of.
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Sizzling Hen Sub with Bacon
These Hen Bacon Subs disappear lickety cut up at my home. They’re the proper scorching hen sandwich, really easy to assemble and really freezer-friendly.
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Hen Divan with Curry
This freezer-friendly, curried hen and broccoli casserole is totally do-it-yourself. No canned soups or packaged mixes on this Hen Curry Casserole. Simply good, actual meals.
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Spicy Hen Dip
This Spicy Hen Dip is out of this world. Creamy, tacky, spicy, and stuffed with tender hen items, this dip will please children and adults alike.
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Hen Fajita Burrito
Hen Fajita Burritos are filling, flavorful, and full of peppers, onions, and jalapeños. They make an important lunch, snack, or dinner you could make forward and freeze.
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Creamy Hen Stuffed Shells
A creamy, tacky, hen filling accentuates this straightforward pasta dish. Make a double batch to freeze for an additional time.
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Creamy Hen Noodle Soup
Get cozy this season with a bowl of this Creamy Hen Noodle Soup. It comes collectively rapidly with simply 5 primary substances.
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Hen Florentine Casserole
This scrumptious one-dish model of Hen Florentine includes a creamy Mornay sauce, chopped spinach, campanelle noodles, and tender hen. It is a scrumptious pasta bake that deserves a spot in your common rotation.
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Make Frozen Grilled Hen Strips
You should purchase frozen grilled hen strips on the grocery retailer, or you’ll be able to take a couple of minutes to cook dinner and freeze your individual. Get monetary savings and benefit from the comfort!
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Turkey Inventory
Use turkey leftovers to cook dinner up a pot of inventory to make use of in soups, stews, and rice dishes.
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Hen Taco Soup
Loaded with tender hen breast, plenty of veggies, taco spices, and a wealthy hen inventory, this straightforward recipe for Hen Taco Soup is one you’ll like to serve each for straightforward weeknight suppers or fancier Cinco de Mayo celebrations. It is prepared in lower than half an hour!
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What do you suppose?
What’s YOUR favourite recipe to make use of up leftover turkey? How will you employ what’s left?
This put up was initially printed on November 22, 2021. It has been up to date for content material and readability.
