AKA How to Turn Your Abundance of Leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving Dinner into Ready-to-Eat Freezer Meals
We’ve all been there, right? You wake up the day after Thanksgiving and both your heart and stomach are still full.
You get up and walk to the kitchen to grab your morning coffee, open the fridge to get your creamer, only to be hit smack dab in the face by the smell of Thanksgiving dinner and smoked Turkey… all-over-again. (Yeah, it’s too early for that.)
You are suddenly and soberly reminded that you NEED to do something with all those holiday dinner leftovers… but in particular the half of a 20 lb pound turkey sitting in your fridge.
Do you shred it and freeze it in bags only to forget about it until a year later?
Do you use the leftover dinner rolls and make turkey rolls to eat for the next 2 weeks for lunch?
Do you throw it out and waste all that time and energy you put into it?
Can we offer another alternative? Why not turn it into full meals!
Meat can be the biggest expense in any grocery budget, so take advantage of a delicious and “already paid for” meat, and reuse it in a variety of ways to help you eat healthy, home-cooked dinners all winter long!
Leftover Turkey Casserole with Rice by Sustainable Cooks
This is taking maximizing leftovers to a whole new level.
Our recommendation: make a Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Meal Plan!
Choose from the recipes we have gathered below and build a custom meal plan with your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. Each recipe will use your turkey, plus other added ingredients, to extend the life of your meat for weeks and months to come.
➡ If you’re a *member with Once A Month Meals, here’s a meal plan based on this collection of recipes that is ready to go!
Download & print this Turkey Leftover Freezer Meal Plan
With this meal plan you’ll get*:
- 5 Turkey-based Recipes doubled to 10 Ready-to-eat Dinner Meals (That’s 2 weeks worth of meals ready when you need them!)
- A Grocery Shopping List organized by category for faster and easier shopping.
- Prep Instructions to help you prepare all your ingredients ahead of time.
- Step by Step Cooking Day Instructions for fast and efficient freezer cooking.
- Individual Recipe Cards with detailed cooking and freezing instructions.
- Printable Labels for your freezer bags with thawing and reheating instructions.
- A Thaw Sheet for a full list of your meal plan’s defrosting and reheating instructions.
*Paying members receive these resources. Consider upgrading to fully enjoy all of these features of your membership.
➡ Here’s a sample meal plan print out so you can see for yourself!
We’d love to show you how it works and how we make your meal planning experience even easier! Now onto the good stuff…
Leftover Turkey Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Peas by Everyday Maven
Instant Pot White Turkey Chili by The Holy Mess
Turkey Tetrazzini by Brown Eyed Baker
30 Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes You Can Freeze
All members can add these recipes to their meal plans. Learn more about membership here.
- Turkey Pot Pie Soup by Skinnytaste (our freezer-friendly version)
- Leftover Turkey Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Peas by Everyday Maven (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey and Rivels Soup by Maria Makes (our freezer-friendly version)
- Slow Cooker Turkey Vegetable Soup by Once A Month Meals
- Cheesy Broccoli and Rice with Turkey by Amy’s Finer Things in Life (our freezer-friendly version)
- Slow Cooker Paleo Turkey and Vegetable Hash by Recipe This (our freezer-friendly version)
- Cinnamon Apple Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash by My Paleo Crockpot (our freezer-friendly version)
- Instant Pot Creamed Turkey and Dumplings by Once A Month Meals
- Sweet Potato Turkey Hash by Jan’s Sushi Bar (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey Casserole with Broccoli and Brown Rice by Mama Me Gluten Free (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey “Fried” Rice by Organize Yourself Skinny (our freezer-friendly version)
- Cheesy Broccoli and Rice with Turkey by Amy’s Finer Things in Life (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey Minestrone by Once A Month Meals
- Leftover Turkey Soup by Wellness Mama (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup by Brown Eyed Baker (our freezer-friendly version)
- Cheesy Turkey Quesadillas by Creative Savings (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey Corn Chowder by A Turtle’s Life For Me (our freezer-friendly version)
- Slow Cooker Turkey Chili by Food, Pleasure and Health (our freezer-friendly version)
- Grilled Turkey Sandwiches by Once A Month Meals
- Easy Turkey and Black Bean Enchilada by So Very Blessed (our freezer-friendly version)
- Southwestern Turkey Soup by A Mindful Full Mom (our freezer-friendly version)
- 30 Minute Layered Turkey Enchilada Casserole by Kicking it with Kelly (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey Noodle Soup by The Holy Mess (our freezer-friendly version)
- Instant Pot Turkey Soup by Wondermom Wannabe (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey and Dumpling Dinner by Melissa K Norris (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels by Percolate Kitchen (our freezer-friendly version)
- Leftover Turkey Casserole with Rice by Sustainable Cooks (our freezer-friendly version)
- Instant Pot White Turkey Chili by The Holy Mess (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey Quinoa Bites by So Very Blessed (our freezer-friendly version)
- Turkey Tetrazzini by Brown Eyed Baker (our freezer-friendly version)
Additional Resources as you prepare for the holidays!
- The Ultimate Holiday Help List: Must-have resources, recipes, and more!
- The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Gift lists for cooks and foodies
- How to Cook Ahead for Your Holiday Party: (Yep, we’ll show you how to use your freezer!)
- 25 Holiday Freezer Favorites: Main dishes, side dishes, sweets, and more!
- 15 Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes for Hectic Holidays!: Easy & ready beforehand!
