Top 10 Things You Can Do With Leftover Turkey

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and, like every year, there is a bunch of leftover turkey taking up space in the fridge. In previous years, you always end up throwing the leftover turkey away because – quite honestly – you become tired of the taste of it. This year, however, things are going to change. No more will you let the turkey, which you spent many hours preparing, go to waste. So, what should you do with it? Thankfully, you have a few ideas, but you’re going to need some help to make them a reality. In order to do this, you call up your friend Jerry to come and help you out.

Turkey Noodle Soup

You stand outside your house and wait for Jerry to arrive. It’s slightly below freezing, but you’re already out here, so whatever. Soon, Jerry drives up in his sports car and pulls into your driveway. Seeing that you’re out in the cold, he asks if you’re OK. Besides being frozen to death, you reply that you need some help with the leftover turkey. Jerry understands your problem and leads you back inside the house. Once you’re seated at the kitchen table, he single-handedly makes a warm bowl of Turkey noodle soup to warm you up.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Well, that’s a little bit of the leftover turkey taken care of, but there’s still a lot on the plate. Luckily, you heard of some Italian sounding dish which uses turkey. With no time to spare, you finish the rest of your soup and begin preparing some turkey tetrazzini with Jerry. The main reason you want to make this recipe is because it includes spaghetti noodles (which you’ve been craving for some time). Jerry turns out to be a great help in the kitchen, and the tetrazzini is finished within an hour. You only eat a little bit, though, since you just had some soup.

Turkey Nachos

Later that evening, you’re staring at the leftover turkey on the kitchen table with your chin resting on your crossed arms. Sighing, you sit up straight and, rubbing the back of your neck, tell Jerry it’s time to create another meal. You both set to work immediately, although the work is slow going. As you’re putting the finishing touches on the leftover turkey meat, you ask if Jerry can run to the store and buy some taco shells. Unfortunately, it takes Jerry 30 minutes to head to the store and back. By the time he opens the door, taco shells in hand, the meat is no longer warm.

Leftover Turkey Noodles

Late in the night, you toss and turn on your bed, upset about the massive pile of turkey still in your house. Finally, you decide that there’s no way you’re going to get any sleep, so you head downstairs to continue creating more turkey dishes. As you walk downstairs, you’re shocked to see Jerry hard at work in the kitchen. He admits that he wanted to surprise you in the morning by diminishing the amount of leftover turkey you had to deal with. Walking into the room, you proceed to help your friend finish the turkey noodles he was making.

A Turkey Panini

While you did wake up at 3 in the morning to make a leftover turkey dish, you feel as if you had a perfect night’s sleep. Descending the stairs once again, you open the fridge to see how much of the turkey remains. The pile of meat still looks the same size as it did yesterday, but perhaps that’s because you’re tired. Oh, well. Time to use up some more of it. Walking over to the cupboard, you take out some bread. You should really get a bread basket to put it in, but you always seem to forget to buy one. Thoughts of bread baskets fill your head as you make a turkey panini.

Turkey on a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Every once in a while it’s a good idea to take a short break from cooking the leftover turkey. Jerry recommends that you and he go buy some coffee from Starbucks, and you gladly take him up on the offer. On the main street a few blocks from your home, you pass a sign outside a restaurant which reads ‘Try our new Turkey Grilled Cheese Sandwich.’ This puts you into hysterics, and so Jerry is forced to turn down a side street and head back to your place. The delicious coffee that you were looking forward to has now been forgotten.

Turkey Cheese Dip

Bursting back into the house, you head straight for the fridge and drag the plate of turkey out. It weighs a ton, but your frustration lends strength to your limbs. You walk over to the garbage can and prepare to throw the entire plate of leftover turkey away. Jerry rushes over and stops you at the last second, urging you not to give in to despair. He promises that both you and himself can do this. Nodding, you heavily set the dish of turkey on the counter and shakily slide into a chair at the table. While you’re still recovering from your episode, Jerry makes some turkey cheese dip to cheer you up.

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Stuffed Turkey Peppers

The cheese dip with leftover turkey has filled you with enough energy and determination to get the job done. Checking the notes on your phone for recipes, you find one that looks good: stuffed turkey peppers. Neither Jerry nor yourself has to leave and go get some since you have five already in the pantry. While you cut and prepare the peppers, Jerry starts gathering the seasonings which you’ll need from around the various cupboards in the kitchen. As the food cooks in the oven, you begin to gather the ingredients you’ll need for the next recipe.

Turkey Pizza

You and Jerry have been busy in the kitchen all morning as you use the leftover turkey to create dishes that neither of you are likely to eat. The last recipe on your list is a turkey pizza, which actually sounds good right about now. As with the bell peppers, you already possess some pizza dough and sauce so you can get started cooking immediately. Besides the turkey, you place pepperonis and black olives on the pizza. Before you set it in the oven to cook, Jerry stops you and throws some sausage on as well (which is his favorite topping).

Turkey and Dumplings

As you eat the pizza, you stare at the plate of leftover turkey on the counter. It is all but gone. Jerry, who notices the direction of your stare, says that you and he did it. “Not yet,” you reply. Nodding, Jerry looks at the plate of turkey as well and says that he may have an idea how to finish it off. He tells you that he needs absolute privacy in order to make this dish, so you head upstairs and take a quick nap, exhausted from your endeavors over the last two days. Some hours later, your phone buzzes and a text from Jerry lets you know that the food is ready. You walk down the stairs, enter the kitchen, and see a large bowl of turkey and dumplings on the stove. Glancing around the kitchen, you notice that the plate which was previously stacked with leftover turkey is in the sink, empty at last.

Have you ever had leftover turkey after Thanksgiving? What do you do with it? Let me know in the comments below!