Don’t wish to eat one other chunk of leftover turkey after the vacation? I acquired you! Make turkey freezer meals with the leftovers to be able to 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 need to use up leftover turkey. You’re going to want you had cooked a much bigger fowl!
]]>
Obtained turkey? As in, plenty of leftover turkey from a big meal?
Plainly yearly is totally different. One 12 months you may not have a sufficiently big turkey at Thanksgiving, and there actually aren’t any leftovers to talk of.
Different years? You might 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. In the event you’ve by no means tried this combo, you will need to. It’s tremendous easy, however so excellent.
However then what?
When you’ve exhausted the “reheat and eat” and the plain sandwich choices, whaddya do? It’s essential 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. In the event you can cease losing meals, you’ll be able to divert funds to extra wanted areas, moreover groceries.
Making turkey freezer meals saves you time. In the event you take a couple of minutes after the feast to prep the leftover turkey for freezing, you need to use it in all types of recipes (like all those that decision for cooked rooster) within the weeks to return. You’ll save a lot time over the vacations!
It’s scrumptious! Leftover turkey could be scrumptious if it’s ready nicely. Don’t let it sit at the back of the fridge. Freeze it immediately for those who 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 a couple extra meals — even for those who 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. In the event you prepare dinner your turkey on Thursday, it must be fit for human consumption via Monday.
Can leftover turkey be frozen?
Freezing your turkey leftovers is an effective way to keep away from waste and provides your self a break from turkey.
In the event you 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 package deal it nicely in freezer luggage or hermetic containers. You’ll be able to even package deal the bones to make inventory at a future date. Simply don’t overlook you’ve acquired 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 rooster or turkey.
Are you able to freeze turkey after 3 days?
The freezer doesn’t magically make meals brisker. It solely slows the enzyme motion. In the event you freeze your turkey quickly after cooking, it is best to have a stable 2-3 days to make use of it after thawing.
Nevertheless, for those who freeze your turkey close to the tip of the 4-day window, you’ll have to ensure you use it instantly once you do pull it from the freezer.
Take a look at this nice information about Meals Security Fundamentals from the USDA.
Recipes for Leftover Turkey
Any recipe that requires cooked rooster could be an effective 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 which you can freeze both the turkey prepared so as to add, all of the prepped components as a package, or the prepped dish in its entirety.
While 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 sometimes 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.
Be taught Extra
Cranberry Rooster Salad
With tender rooster breast, celery, dried cranberries, and a tangy poppy seed dressing, this basic Cranberry Rooster Salad is a deal with!
Be taught Extra
Rooster Salad Sandwiches with Cucumber
Able to stand up and go? Be sure to save cash in your lunch invoice by packing up some simple Rooster Salad Sandwiches with crisp, crunchy cucumbers.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Salad Lettuce Wraps
Get pleasure from a easy, scrumptious rooster salad loaded with apples and almonds on this simple recipe for Rooster Salad Lettuce Wraps.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Salad Membership Sandwiches
Sandwich Evening will turn out to be one thing tremendous particular once you prime creamy rooster salad with bacon on this Rooster Salad Membership Sandwich.
Be taught Extra
Orchard Rooster Salad
Get pleasure from contemporary fruits, spicy scallions, crunchy almonds, and tender rooster on this scrumptious and refreshing Orchard Rooster Salad. Good for sandwiches, salads, or lettuce wraps.
Be taught Extra
Cajun Rooster Salad
This creamy rooster salad will get a kick from a customized mix and crunch from crisp celery. It’s nice in lettuce wraps or on rolls.
Be taught Extra
Curry Rooster Salad Lettuce Wraps
Get pleasure from a lunch or dinner full of taste with this Curry Rooster Salad served in Lettuce Wraps. It’s very make-ahead and tremendous scrumptious.
Be taught Extra
Chipotle Turkey Baguettes
Layer tender turkey with lettuce, tomato, and a creamy chipotle mayo for a tasty chipotle turkey baguette sandwich that can rival the perfect sandwich outlets!
Be taught Extra
Turkey Cheddar Soften with Grilled Onions and Spicy Mayo
Melted cheddar, thick-sliced turkey, grilled onions, and spicy mayo mix right into a sizzling and filling sandwich. So good!
Be taught Extra
Turkey and Ham Cobb Salad
A Cobb Salad is stuffed with taste so it by no means want be boring. This one with ham and turkey will get dressed up with bacon and leeks.
Be taught Extra
Italian Rooster Pasta Salad
Busy evening? Seize a bowl of this make-ahead Italian Rooster Pasta Salad. It’s simple to make and full of taste.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Bacon Ranch Salad
Get pleasure from a cool and simple lunch or dinner with this Rooster Bacon Ranch Salad. It’s stuffed with rooster, bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers.
Be taught Extra
Rooster & Raspberry Salad
Tender rooster, juicy raspberries, and tangy goat cheese get collectively to celebration on this easy but flavorful Rooster & Raspberry Salad. No want for a restaurant salad in the present day once you’ve acquired this happening!
Be taught Extra
Rooster Caesar Sandwiches
Rooster Caesar Baguette Sandwiches are simply what you count on – fast and easy deliciousness tucked into French bread. They’re a enjoyable, transportable twist on a classic basic.
Be taught Extra
Asian Rooster Noodle Salad
Cool off with this tremendous simple, tremendous make-ahead Asian Rooster Noodle Salad. It’s stuffed with crisp, crunchy veggies, hearty rooster, and a tasty dressing.
Be taught Extra
Recipes to Make as a Equipment
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 an effective way to avoid wasting your self time whereas additionally giving your self versatility in including contemporary components or ensuring noodles don’t go soggy.
These leftover turkey recipes are nice for making into kits:
Rooster Minestrone
This simple rooster minestrone soup mixes up in minutes with simply 5 fundamental components. It is scrumptious and filling with out feeling heavy, good any time of 12 months for lunch or dinner.
Be taught Extra
Turkey and Rice Soup
Turkey and Rice Soup is likely one of the greatest consolation meals, that includes turkey, rice, spicy sausage, and veggies. Good for vacation leftovers!
Be taught Extra
Creamy Rooster Pasta with Bacon
This Creamy Rooster Pasta dish is sauced with sherry with cream and dotted with bacon, tomatoes, and peas. It’s completely scrumptious!
Be taught Extra
Spaghetti Squash Jambalaya
Spaghetti Squash Jambalaya simply could also be considered one of my favourite low carb recipes. Scorching and spicy with a contact of sweetness from the squash, it’s the right wholesome supper.
Be taught Extra
Pulled Rooster Sliders
Pulled rooster with a home made seasoning mix makes for good celebration meals or a straightforward dinner of Pulled Rooster Sliders. These Rooster and Cheese Sliders are the right dinner for busy nights – made in about half-hour for those who use the stress cooker!
Be taught Extra
Candy and Bitter Shredded Rooster Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Let your gradual cooker do the work with a straightforward candy and bitter pulled rooster filling good for sandwiches and wraps. This straightforward crockpot recipe will prevent money and time!
Be taught Extra
Rooster Burrito Bowls
Neglect the flowery taco store and it is excessive priced burrito bowls. You may make your individual — higher and for much less! Pack these Rooster Burrito Bowls with Chipotle Crema for lunch this week.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Fried Rice
Obtained leftover cooked rooster and rice? Then you definitely’ve acquired the makings of a fantastic meal. This rooster fried rice is tremendous simple to make and higher than takeout!
Be taught Extra
Sheetpan Nachos
Feed a crowd and your starvation for loaded nachos multi function fell swoop. This Sheetpan Nachos recipe could have you set for fulfillment.
Be taught Extra
Moo Shu Rooster
Moo Shu Rooster is a straightforward and scrumptious meal which you can make forward to freeze. A riff on conventional Moo Shu Pork, rooster lightens the dish, whereas flour tortillas make issues simple.
Be taught Extra
Recipes You Can Freeze
The perfect type of freezer meal is the sort which you can 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:
Scorching Turkey Pesto Sandwiches
Scorching 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.
Be taught Extra
Bitter Cream Rooster Enchilada Casserole Recipe
Boost your night with this sizzling and tacky Rooster Enchilada Casserole. You’ll be able to whip it up in a flash — and make an additional to freeze.
Be taught Extra
Inexperienced Rooster 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 superb taste.
Be taught Extra
Do-it-yourself Rooster Enchiladas with Roasted Chiles
Internet hosting a crowd? Serve two massive pans of home made rooster enchiladas with freshly roasted chiles. No crowd? No drawback. Stash one pan within the freezer for one more time.
Be taught Extra
Creamy Turkey Enchiladas
Fold cooked turkey into corn tortillas and prime with this creamy home made sauce for the perfect turkey enchiladas ever to fulfill Thanksgiving leftovers.
Be taught Extra
Freezer Burritos
Ever been tempted by the contents of the frozen meals aisle? Will probably be simple to simply say NO once you’ve made your individual home made burritos for the freezer.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Flautas Recipe
Much like taquitos, flautas are little flutes of tortilla rolled and crammed with one thing scrumptious, on this case, seasoned rooster and cheese.
Be taught Extra
Turkey Pot Pie with Simple Biscuit Topping
Turkey, greens, and gravy make a luscious filling for a straightforward biscuit topping on this easy turkey pot pie.
Be taught Extra
White Bean Rooster Chili
This simple white bean rooster chili comes collectively shortly however is full of taste.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Pesto Pizza
Get pleasure from a more healthy pizza evening this week with this home made Rooster Pesto Pizza with Contemporary Avocado that includes a complete wheat crust.
Be taught Extra
Rooster and Biscuit Pizza
This 30-minute pizza has a fast biscuit crust and a scrumptious alfredo fashion sauce topped with rooster and cheese. Like rooster and biscuits on pizza.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Gumbo Soup
Rooster Gumbo Soup, that childhood favourite from the red-labeled can is now inside your attain – home made, tastier, and higher for you!
Be taught Extra
Grandma’s Rooster Noodle Soup Recipe
This Rooster Noodle Soup Recipe, similar to Grandma used to make, is a straightforward and economical dish. Fire up a pot of rooster broth with tender egg noodles, chunks of tender rooster, and slivers of contemporary greens.
Be taught Extra
BBQ Rooster Pizza with Bacon & Pineapple
Make Pizza Evening out of this world this week with a BBQ Rooster Pizza with Bacon & Pineapple – so easy, good, and full of taste. Simply make sure you make multiple.
Be taught Extra
Scorching Rooster Sub with Bacon
These Rooster Bacon Subs disappear lickety cut up at my home. They’re the right sizzling rooster sandwich, really easy to assemble and really freezer-friendly.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Divan with Curry
This freezer-friendly, curried rooster and broccoli casserole is absolutely home made. No canned soups or packaged mixes on this Rooster Curry Casserole. Simply good, actual meals.
Be taught Extra
Spicy Rooster Dip
This Spicy Rooster Dip is out of this world. Creamy, tacky, spicy, and stuffed with tender rooster items, this dip will please youngsters and adults alike.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Fajita Burrito
Rooster Fajita Burritos are filling, flavorful, and full of peppers, onions, and jalapeños. They make a fantastic lunch, snack, or dinner which you can make forward and freeze.
Be taught Extra
Creamy Rooster Stuffed Shells
A creamy, tacky, rooster filling accentuates this easy pasta dish. Make a double batch to freeze for one more time.
Be taught Extra
Creamy Rooster Noodle Soup
Get cozy this season with a bowl of this Creamy Rooster Noodle Soup. It comes collectively shortly with simply 5 fundamental components.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Florentine Casserole
This scrumptious one-dish model of Rooster Florentine contains a creamy Mornay sauce, chopped spinach, campanelle noodles, and tender rooster. It is a scrumptious pasta bake that deserves a spot in your common rotation.
Be taught Extra
Find out how to Make Frozen Grilled Rooster Strips
You should purchase frozen grilled rooster strips on the grocery retailer, or you’ll be able to take a couple of minutes to prepare dinner and freeze your individual. Lower your expenses and benefit from the comfort!
Be taught Extra
Turkey Inventory
Use turkey leftovers to prepare dinner up a pot of inventory to make use of in soups, stews, and rice dishes.
Be taught Extra
Rooster Taco Soup
Loaded with tender rooster breast, plenty of veggies, taco spices, and a wealthy rooster inventory, this easy recipe for Rooster 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!
Be taught Extra
What do you suppose?
What’s YOUR favourite recipe to make use of up leftover turkey? How will you employ what’s left?
This publish was initially printed on November 22, 2021. It has been up to date for content material and readability.
