If you’re still making your way through Thursday’s bountiful leftovers, look to one of these simple, cozy ways to transform your turkey into a whole new meal. These dinners, from veggie-loaded stews to high-stacked sandwiches, mix the savory, herby flavors of Thanksgiving with some pantry ingredients, like rice, frozen vegetables and sandwich bread, so you can stay in and finish those leftovers. Recipes like our One-Pot Turkey Vegetable Soup and our Turkey & Cheese Panini are tasty ways to keep enjoying one of the best meals of the year.
One-Pot Turkey Vegetable Soup
Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee
This vegetable soup makes use of leftover turkey for a satisfying main dish. It’s full of bright flavors, thanks to the use of lemon juice and lemon zest.
Turkey, Pesto & Broccoli Pasta
This easy pasta is a weeknight dinner lifesaver after the busy holidays. While shelf-stable pesto will work here, we prefer the fresh flavor and more vibrant color of refrigerated pesto.
Turkey Enchiladas
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
These turkey enchiladas take only 10 minutes to prep, so you’ll have dinner ready in a jiff.
Turkey & Cheese Panini
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall.
This turkey panini is one of the best panini recipes we have ever tried. Basil pesto and sourdough bread are key to this sandwich’s unique flavor.
Turkey & Wild Rice Soup with Vegetables
Leftover turkey has never been so delicious. Wild rice adds a nutty flavor–plus extra protein and fiber–to this creamy, hearty soup.
Turkey Potpie
This potpie is loaded with veggies, a creamy sauce and turkey, of course. It’s topped with a prepared whole-wheat crust so there’s no need to make dough.
Turkey & Squash Soup
This Southwestern-inspired turkey-and-squash soup gets a little kick from crushed red pepper and some zing from fresh lime juice. You can use leftover turkey or chicken (instead of the cutlets); dice it and add a few minutes before serving.
Foh Gai Jook (Turkey Jook)
Jook is what the Cantonese call rice porridge. Frequently eaten either at breakfast or as a late-night snack, jook is a comfort food beloved in many Asian cultures—Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai, Filipino and more. This homey rice porridge is a delicious way to repurpose your turkey carcass.
Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
This delicious dish is a twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread.
Turkey Stew
This hearty stew is just about the best use of Thanksgiving leftovers we can think of. And we don’t just mean the turkey—leftover gravy is used to add flavor and body.
Hot Turkey Pesto Sandwich
Victor Protasio
This sandwich features herby pesto and fresh mozzarella cheese, which melts beautifully, creating a gooey, cheesy bite.
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries & Turkey
Give leftover turkey new life with these delicious stuffed potatoes. A drizzle of homemade honey-mustard dressing soaks into the hot potatoes, adding tons of flavor.
Turkey, Pasta & Vegetable Soup
This simple soup is full of vegetables and shredded turkey, making it perfect for after the holidays. Adding Parmesan rind provides a rich umami flavor.
Turkey Avocado Sandwich
Packed with leftover turkey, bacon, cranberry sauce and more, this sandwich is sure to satisfy. If you really want to do this sandwich up, sear a slice of stuffing or bread pudding until it’s nice and crispy and put it between the turkey and avocado.
Creamy Turkey & Vegetable Soup
Fred Hardy
The vegetables in this comforting turkey soup are perfectly tender and the broth is creamy and flavorful—perfect for when there’s a chill in the air!
Turkey-Apple-Brie Sandwiches
Hollowed-out baguettes hold a satisfying combo of tart apples, creamy Brie and protein-rich, shredded turkey.
Turkey & Leek Shepherd’s Pie
The mashed potato-covered shepherd’s pie was originally created to use up the leftovers from a festive roast. This version blends peas, leeks and carrots with diced turkey, all in a creamy herb sauce.
Turkey Dinner in a Skillet
Here’s a new way to enjoy that Thanksgiving dinner taste! Turkey tenderloin slices, broccoli and bread “stuffing” cook up quickly in this layered one-skillet dinner.
