Make the most of leftover turkey by exploring freezer meal recipes that are budget-friendly and easy to prepare.
Arguably, the best part of Thanksgiving is wolfing down turkey and all the trimmings until you need to lie down.
The worst part is two days later, when you have eaten as many leftover turkey sandwiches as you can stomach and there’s still a mountain of carcass in the fridge.
So what do you do?
You turn it into leftover turkey freezer meals and save time and money for your future self.
Where To Get The Best Deal On Turkey
Right now, I’m seeing large turkeys selling for $2.84/lb, and by the week after Thanksgiving, there will be even lower prices. Score!
Check all major Canadian grocery stores, both the cheapest and most expensive supermarkets, as they almost always have turkey deals.
Buy a few…one for Christmas, and one or two to fill your freezer with some of the lowest cost meals you’ll make all fall and winter.
I’ve compiled a few recipes that include leftover turkey or where turkey can be substituted that our family enjoys to help inspire you.
It’s not all turkey noodle soup, although that’s delicious too.
I draw inspiration from around the world, so we get a lot of variety, and nobody will grumble about yet another meal made from leftover turkey meat.
I’ve tried to keep it to the most cost-effective ingredients available, because saving on turkey and then blowing a pile of cash on the other parts of the meal makes zero sense.
Without further ado, here are some cheap leftover turkey recipes that are sure to please.
These first recipes are for the day or two after Thanksgiving, in case you don’t want to eat sandwiches for every meal – after all, once the cranberry sauce and gravy (AKA The Moist Maker) are gone, they’re a little dry, no?
Leftover Turkey Recipe Ideas
There are so many practical and creative ways that you can use leftover turkey, including switching protein in recipes you want to try.
1. Burrito bowls
I love this meatless version, but it would go equally well with some leftover turkey and add more protein.
2. Stir Fry It’s super quick to whip up, you can use frozen veg in a pinch, and the sauce is so good!
3. Thai peanut salad with turkey instead of chicken
Try this one, and don’t forget the sesame seeds or pepitas for crunch. I could eat the sauce with a spoonful.
4. It is not a recipe per se, but why not add some turkey to your ramen? That, plus a poached egg, would turn it into a luscious meal for pennies.
5. Cobb salad is good anytime. Just swap out the chicken for your turkey.
Freezer Meals Using Leftover Turkey
Okay, on to your freezer meals:
- Enchiladas: Everybody has their own spin on this. I like to mix shredded cheese, turkey, egg, and a can of green chili, and top with the homemade sauce you’ll find in the link. Bake at 350 for around 35 minutes or until the cheese is melty and browning a bit.
- Thai green curry soup: It’s mildly spicy and oh-so-tasty. You’ll be hooked.
- Turkey broccoli rice casserole is an inexpensive and comforting all-in-one meal.
- Turkey pot pie with cranberry topping uses leftover cranberry and gravy, too! It’s pretty enough to serve the company.
- Turkey curry: Who doesn’t love a good curry (or three)? This one’s easy to make, but swap out the chicken for leftover turkey.
- This creamy turkey soup with dumplings from Mr. CBB is quick and easy; swap your meat out.
- Pumpkin turkey soup: I love this sorta Tex-Mex spin on a cozy fall meal.
- Turkey tetrazzini: Only five minutes for prep time; you’ll have it in the oven or freezer. It’s hard to beat that for convenience! Get a kid to mix it up while you’re prepping something else.
- Chicken orzo soup: I’d be remiss if I didn’t include Mr. CBB’s delicious soup! Just swap out the chicken for turkey!
- Why not whip up a turkey shepherd’s pie or two? Bonus if this takes care of leftover mashed potatoes (not a thing that happens in my house, but maybe you don’t have family members who would eat nothing but the potatoes if I let them.) If you have help with peeling on Thanksgiving, you could even make double your mashed potatoes and stash half away just for this.
Now that you’re down to the carcass, here’s a recipe for a delicious crockpot chicken broth (swap out for turkey) for your future soups. Make a big batch and freeze it 1.5 cups at a time (an average soup per person serving).
Discussion: What do you do with your turkey leftovers? Please share in the comments.
