A container of turkey can turn into several different meals once you look beyond another cold sandwich. These leftover turkey recipes include creamy pasta, warm sliders, brothy soup, and a rice dinner that uses what is already cooked. There are choices for a quick lunch and others for a family meal from the oven.
Most recipes use cooked turkey directly or include a leftover variation. The shepherd’s pie starts with ground turkey, so I have clearly marked that exception below. Keep it in mind if you also have mashed potatoes to use, then choose the meal that fits your kitchen.
1. Turkey Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese
Crisp sourdough holds sliced turkey, soft Brie, cranberry sauce, and a little Dijon mustard. The sandwiches cook gently in a skillet so the cheese melts while the buttered bread turns golden. This is a meal that makes good use of two holiday leftovers without needing a baking dish or much preparation.
Make this turkey and Brie grilled cheese for lunch.
2. Turkey Fried Rice
Cold cooked rice and leftover turkey come together with scrambled eggs, peas, carrots, and corn in a hot wok. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil give the grains a savory finish. Keep everything moving as it cooks, then scatter green onions over the top for a fresh bite.
Turn yesterday’s dinner into this easy turkey fried rice recipe tonight.
3. Turkey Stuffing Casserole
Turkey cubes and mixed vegetables sit beneath a layer of herb stuffing in this creamy bake. Condensed chicken and celery soups blend with sour cream to hold the filling together. The stuffing mix is moistened with hot water and melted butter before baking, giving the casserole a soft center and golden top.
Get the creamy turkey stuffing casserole recipe here.
4. Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
Cooked wild rice gives this creamy soup a pleasant chew, while mushrooms, carrots, and celery fill out each bowl. Turkey broth, half-and-half, and a little flour make the base rich without needing canned soup. Stir in cooked turkey and finish with baby spinach and thyme for a warm, filling dinner.
Spoon up this creamy turkey and wild rice soup tonight.
5. Hot Honey Apple Cheddar Turkey Sliders
Thin apple slices bring a little crunch to these turkey and sharp cheddar sliders. Hot honey adds sweetness and heat inside soft Hawaiian rolls, while seasoned butter and poppy seeds finish the tops. The recipe starts with deli turkey but also allows thinly sliced leftover roast turkey, making it useful after a holiday.
Bake these hot honey turkey sliders tonight.
6. Turkey a la King
Mushrooms, peas, and pimientos add color and texture to turkey in a smooth, creamy sauce. Butter, flour, turkey broth, and half-and-half form the base, with thyme bringing a gentle herbal flavor. This skillet dish gives cooked turkey a different setting from the holiday plate and works well for a relaxed family dinner.
Try the creamy turkey a la king recipe.
7. Turkey Enchiladas Verde
Salsa verde and Monterey Jack give these baked corn tortilla enchiladas a tangy, cheesy finish. Although the main recipe uses ground turkey, its leftover variation calls for chopped cooked turkey stirred into softened onion and green chiles. Warm the tortillas before filling so they roll without cracking, then bake under the remaining sauce.
Find these cheesy turkey enchiladas verde here.
8. Turkey Soup
For a brothier bowl, this turkey soup pairs cooked meat with carrot coins, celery, and small pasta shells. Onion, garlic, thyme, and a bay leaf flavor the turkey broth as everything simmers. Fresh parsley goes in at the end. It is a straightforward choice when you want something warm without a creamy sauce.
Make a pot of classic turkey soup.
9. Turkey Tetrazzini
Spaghetti, turkey cubes, and sliced mushrooms bake together in a creamy sauce made with broth, milk, and cream. Mozzarella melts through the pasta, while Parmesan and panko give the surface a golden finish. This is a larger casserole for a family dinner, with a short rest before serving to help the portions settle.
Serve this creamy baked turkey tetrazzini tonight.
10. Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Whole-berry cranberry sauce gives these warm sliders a sweet, tart layer between turkey and Swiss cheese. Keep the Hawaiian rolls connected while assembling, then brush their tops with butter, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds. A covered bake warms the filling before a brief uncovered finish browns the bread.
Put your holiday extras into these turkey cranberry sliders for dinner.
11. Turkey and Dumplings
Soft homemade dumplings steam above a thick turkey soup filled with carrots, celery, potato, and peas. Cooked turkey makes the meat portion easy, while milk and flour give the broth a creamy body. Use a pot with a snug lid so the dumplings cook through and stay fluffy above the filling.
Try this comforting homemade turkey and dumplings recipe tonight.
12. Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
This pie layers turkey, carrots, and peas in thyme gravy beneath buttery mashed potatoes. Fork marks across the topping catch the oven heat and turn golden. One detail matters for this roundup: the linked version starts with raw ground turkey, so it is an option for leftover mashed potatoes rather than cooked roast turkey.
Read the turkey shepherd’s pie recipe.
13. Creamy Turkey Pasta
Garlic and herb cream cheese softens a tomato sauce around short twisted pasta and bite-size turkey pieces. Finely diced carrot, onion, and garlic add flavor to the pot, with stock helping the pasta cook. The result is creamy and tomato-rich, giving leftover roast turkey a different taste from gravy and holiday sides.
Bring this creamy turkey pasta recipe to dinner.
14. Turkey and Cheese Sliders
Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, and thin turkey slices fill these simple Hawaiian roll sliders. A buttery Dijon topping with garlic, parsley, and poppy seeds adds flavor as the rolls bake. Use the recipe’s leftover roast turkey option when you have cooked meat to spare, keeping the slices thin so each sandwich warms evenly.
Share a pan of turkey and cheese sliders.
Final Thoughts
The best leftover turkey recipes fit the ingredients you already have and the kind of meal you feel like making. Choose fried rice when there is cooked rice waiting, cranberry sliders when the holiday sauce needs using, or a creamy soup when you want dinner in a bowl. A pasta bake is another way to make a little turkey feel like a full meal.
Check each recipe before starting, especially the meat it calls for. Several include cooked turkey swaps, while the shepherd’s pie uses ground turkey. Pick one, gather the remaining ingredients, and give those holiday extras a fresh place at the table.