Leftover turkey recipes for the days after the roast

The quickest ways to use leftover turkey are a turkey, stuffing and cranberry toastie (13 minutes), turkey fried rice (20 minutes) and creamy turkey and mushroom pasta (25 minutes). Below are seven ideas for the meat left after a Christmas or Thanksgiving roast, with metric quantities, fan-oven temperatures and a swap for each. Check the storage section first.

These are recipe ideas. Nobody has cooked them yet, so season to taste and adjust timings to your own hob and oven.

How long does leftover turkey keep?

Cool leftovers quickly. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) says to get them into the fridge within 1 to 2 hours, then eat them within 48 hours or freeze them. In the US, USDA FSIS says cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

Reheat any dish made with turkey until it is piping hot all the way through, which means 74C (165F). The USDA FoodKeeper lists times for other foods. Sources are linked at the end of the post.

Seven leftover turkey ideas

Turkey and leek pot pie

A creamy filling suits dry breast meat, and a pastry lid turns a small amount of turkey into a family meal. A good Boxing Day or day-after-Thanksgiving dinner.

Photo: Mayara Caroline Mombelli on Pexels

• Serves 4
• Prep 15 min
• Cook 40 min

Ingredients:

• 300g cooked turkey, diced
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 30g butter
• 30g plain flour
• 300ml turkey or chicken stock
• 100ml milk
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 320g ready-rolled puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 190C fan.
2. Melt the butter in a pan and cook the leeks for 8 minutes until soft.
3. Stir in the flour for 1 minute, then add the stock and milk a little at a time. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick.
4. Stir in the turkey and mustard and tip into a 20cm pie dish. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
5. Lay the pastry over the top, trim, brush with egg and cut a small steam hole.
6. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and the filling is piping hot.

Swap it: use leftover gravy in place of 100ml of the stock, or ham instead of turkey.

Keeping it: cool within 1 to 2 hours, chill, and eat within 48 hours (FSA) or freeze. Reheat until piping hot.

Turkey and sweet potato curry

Coconut milk and spice soften the flavour of roast turkey, and sweet potato bulks it out.

Photo: Loren Castillo on Pexels

• Serves 3
• Prep 10 min
• Cook 30 min

Ingredients:

• 300g cooked turkey, shredded
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp mild curry paste
• 250g sweet potato, cut into 2cm cubes
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 100ml water
• 100g frozen peas
• 150g dry rice, to serve

Method:

1. Cook the rice to the packet instructions.
2. Fry the onion in a little oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and curry paste for 1 minute.
3. Add the sweet potato, coconut milk and water. Simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is soft.
4. Stir in the turkey and peas. Simmer for 5 minutes until piping hot (74C).
5. Serve over the rice.

Swap it: use butternut squash or parsnip for the sweet potato.

Keeping it: cool within 1 to 2 hours, chill and eat within 48 hours (FSA), or freeze. USDA gives 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

Rice: if you cook extra rice, cool it quickly and chill it within 1 hour. Eat it within 24 hours, or freeze it within 1 hour, and reheat it once only until steaming hot all the way through.

Turkey fried rice

The fastest hot dinner here. Use up spare sprouts, peas or carrots as well.

• Serves 2
• Prep 10 min
• Cook 10 min

Ingredients:

• 200g cooked turkey, shredded
• 250g cooked rice, chilled
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 100g frozen peas
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan until very hot.
2. Pour in the eggs, stir for 30 seconds until just set, then push to one side.
3. Add the rice and peas and fry for 3 minutes, breaking up any lumps.
4. Add the turkey, soy sauce and spring onions. Stir for 3 minutes until piping hot (74C).
5. Finish with the sesame oil.

Swap it: use leftover roast carrots or sprouts, sliced thin, in place of the peas.

Keeping it: best eaten straight away. Because it contains rice, chill any left within 1 hour of cooking and eat within 24 hours (FSA), or freeze it within 1 hour. Reheat once only, until steaming hot all the way through.

Turkey, stuffing and cranberry toastie

All the best parts of the roast in one sandwich.

• Serves 2
• Prep 5 min
• Cook 8 min

Ingredients:

• 120g cooked turkey, sliced
• 4 slices bread
• 60g leftover stuffing, crumbled
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 60g cheddar, grated
• 15g butter

Method:

1. Butter one side of each slice of bread.
2. On the unbuttered sides, layer cranberry sauce, turkey, stuffing and cheddar. Close the sandwiches with the buttered sides out.
3. Fry in a pan over a medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and hot all the way through.

Swap it: use brie instead of cheddar, or a spoonful of leftover bread sauce.

Keeping it: eat it fresh. Chill the leftover turkey itself within 1 to 2 hours and use it within 48 hours.

Leftover turkey and a fridge of other bits? Snap it and PantryAI writes recipes for all of it. Try what's in my fridge or the AI recipe generator.

Creamy turkey and mushroom pasta

A midweek supper that uses up the last of the cream or crème fraîche.

• Serves 3
• Prep 10 min
• Cook 15 min

Ingredients:

• 250g cooked turkey, diced
• 250g penne
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 150ml double cream or crème fraîche
• 100ml turkey or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Cook the pasta to the packet time.
2. Fry the mushrooms in the oil for 6 minutes until golden. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Pour in the stock and cream and simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Add the turkey and simmer for 3 minutes until piping hot (74C).
5. Toss with the drained pasta and the parsley.

Swap it: use spinach or leftover cooked leeks in place of the mushrooms.

Keeping it: chill within 1 to 2 hours and eat within 48 hours (FSA).

Turkey and vegetable soup

Simmer the carcass for stock first, or use a stock cube if you are short on time.

• Serves 4
• Prep 10 min
• Cook 30 min

Ingredients:

• 200g cooked turkey, shredded
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1.2 litres turkey or chicken stock
• 100g small pasta
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Fry the onion, carrots and celery in the oil for 8 minutes.
2. Add the stock and bay leaf and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and cook for the packet time.
4. Stir in the turkey and heat for 3 minutes until piping hot (74C). Remove the bay leaf.

Swap it: use leftover roast parsnips or sprouts, chopped, in place of the celery.

Keeping it: cool quickly, chill within 1 to 2 hours, and eat within 48 hours or freeze in portions.

Turkey and gravy hash

A Boxing Day cousin of bubble and squeak, built on leftover roast potatoes and veg.

• Serves 2
• Prep 10 min
• Cook 20 min

Ingredients:

• 200g cooked turkey, diced
• 400g leftover roast potatoes, roughly chopped
• 150g leftover sprouts or cabbage, shredded
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 tbsp leftover gravy
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 eggs (optional)

Method:

1. Fry the onion in the oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes and press down. Cook for 8 minutes, turning once, until crisp at the edges.
3. Add the sprouts, turkey and gravy. Stir for 5 minutes until piping hot (74C).
4. Top with fried eggs if you like.

Swap it: use leftover parsnips, carrots or stuffing.

Keeping it: eat the same day if you can. Chill any extra within 1 to 2 hours and eat within 48 hours.

Related reading

• How to reduce food waste at home
• Pantry meals for dinners from store cupboard staples.
• 5-ingredient meals for short shopping lists.
• The PantryAI pantry app to keep track of what is in your fridge and cupboards.

Sources

• UK FSA: How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely
• UK FSA: Home food fact checker
• US USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
• USDA FoodKeeper

Photo: Katrin Bolovtsova on Pexels (cover). Photo: Mayara Caroline Mombelli on Pexels. Photo: Loren Castillo on Pexels. Photos are for illustration and do not show these exact ideas.