TURKEY 2.0 — Love your leftovers with recipes for roast turkey, tomorrow!

Leftovers from a big holiday turkey dinner star in many of my favourite recipes, from pot pies and soups to curries.

By CINDA CHAVICH

In my latest book, The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook, there's an entire section entitled The Weekly Feast, devoted to planned leftovers — cooking something big on the weekend (a roast beef, whole grilled salmon, pulled pork shoulder or chicken) and then repurposing the leftover proteins into lovely new dinners throughout the week.

Of course, one section is about cooking a turkey with recipes to play it again, because a roast turkey is the king of leftovers, the big bird that we all love to enjoy for days after a holiday feast. There are so many possibilities when it comes to leftover turkey dinner — from the entire big bird meal itself, to recycling side dishes from mashed potatoes and roasted veggies to bread stuffing and cranberry sauce. All can reappear in new guises, whether mash in fish cakes or potato scones, veggies in risotto or cranberries tossed with apples for a colourful crumble.

I can't imagine ever having any leftover savoury bread stuffing (my culinary Achilles heel) but if you did, you can layer it into your turkey panini sandwiches (with cranberry sauce) or bind with a little beaten egg and milk to make crispy baked "stuffing muffins" or panfried stuffing cakes with cheese. I've even piled that mixture into the waffle maker for stuffing waffles, a perfect base for hot turkey and gravy.

When it comes to turkey dinner, the key is to cook both a big bird and enough of the trimmings so that there are plenty of leftovers. The rule of thumb is 1 to 1.5 pounds of raw turkey per person, and 2 pounds per person if you want leftovers.

We always start with a repeat performance of the entire dinner of turkey, gravy, mash, stuffing and roasted vegetables — plated and simply reheated in the microwave oven. Turkey dinner 2.0.

I also have a collection of shallow rectangular storage containers that are perfect for a "TV dinner" for one, that you can freeze to reheat for lunches or last minute dinners anytime.

LOVE LEFTOVERS

Leftovers are not something to scoff at — they are literally the kind of prepped ingredients that every good chef has at their disposal when they cook. Whether it's grilled chicken breasts or pulled pork for sandwiches and burritos, cooked grains like rice or quinoa and roasted vegetables to toss together for portable salads, leftovers can make cooking weekday meals quick and convenient. Leftover turkey falls right into that lane — the perfect protein for your favourite soups, sandwiches, pot pies and curries.

Here's some of what you'll find my book, The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook, about using up turkey leftovers, with several of my favourite turkey leftover recipes, too!

DON'T WASTE ROAST TURKEY

• Of course, you will save the turkey carcass to make homemade turkey stock (if you don’t have time now, just freeze the bones and make stock later).

  
  

• Make turkey/mashed potato/gravy/stuffing/peas TV dinners— just freeze in a shallow plastic or metal container to pull out on busy nights.

  
  

• Use roast turkey breast meat in a classic clubhouse (aka Dagwood) sandwich: stack it with toast, bacon, ham, turkey, cheddar, tomato, and mustard mayo.

• Reheat the small bits of leftover turkey in the leftover gravy and pour over toasted bread for hot turkey sandwiches.

• Or make grilled panini sandwiches with sliced turkey, brie and cranberry on foccacia

• Add leftover turkey to stir-fries, curries, and pasta dishes (any place you might use chicken).

• Shred leftover turkey and mix with mole sauce to wrap up in corn tortillas.

• Combine shredded turkey with leftover rice and fry in a wok with oil, soy sauce, bean sprouts, ginger, green onions, and peas for fried rice.

• Toss turkey with spicy tomato salsa and roll up in flour tortillas with shredded cheese, lettuce, cilantro, and refried beans.

• Make a creamy sauce with caramelized onions, sour cream and lots of sweet paprika, then add chopped turkey and serve over wide egg noodles for Turkey Paprikash.

...AND THE REST OF THE HOLIDAY DINNER

Turkey dinner with all of the trimmings typically includes mashed potatoes, roasted yams or squash, bread stuffing, gravy, cooked vegetables like Brussels sprouts, peas and carrots, or green beans, and cranberry sauce. Here are a few additional ideas to reuse/recycle your side dishes, too:

• Try an Irish style Colcannon made with mashed potatoes, green onions and sliced leftover Brussels sprouts

• Similarly, Bubble and Squeak is made with mashed potatoes and mashed leftover veggies with chopped green onions, made into cakes, and fried for breakfast

• Add leftover cooked vegetables — think sliced brussels sprouts, roasted squash cubes or carrots — to risotto (near the end of cooking, when you're adding the Parmesan).

• Mash leftover potatoes and squash (or yams) with sautéed onions and ginger (I use this topping for South African-style bobotie pot pies, made with chopped turkey and spices)

• Bind leftover bread stuffing with a little beaten egg and milk to make baked stuffing muffins, pan-fried stuffing patties or even stuffing waffles (to top with turkey and gravy).

• Spread leftover cranberry sauce on toast for breakfast

• Combine chopped or sliced apples with cranberries (or cranberry sauce) for a colourful apple cranberry pie or crisp.

• Layer cranberry sauce with yogurt and granola for breakfast parfaits

• Make crostini appetizers with brie or chicken liver pate, topped with cranberry sauce

RECIPES

Here are some of my favourite recipes to repurpose some of that prepped (aka leftover) food in your fridge after big holiday meals. There are more ideas in my cookbook, The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook (a great holiday gift!)

TURKEY POT POT WITH WHITE CHEDDAR CRUST

This is my go to recipe for leftover turkey. No one will ever never know you’re using up leftovers when you serve this colourful turkey pot pie with white beans and butternut squash. Cooked chicken or even pork roast could stand in for the turkey in this comforting winter dish, which stretches just a few cups of roast turkey into a tasty meal for six.

2 1⁄2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 lb peeled butternut squash, cubed (or use leftover roasted squash)

2 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, slivered

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup turkey or chicken stock

2 Tbsp minced fresh sage

1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cooked white beans (or canned white beans, rinsed and drained)

3 cups cubed leftover roast turkey

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Cheddar biscuits:

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1⁄2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp cold butter

11⁄2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese

2⁄3 cup skim milk

Cayenne or paprika, for dusting

Boil the squash cubes in salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a deep pie plate or wide casserole dish, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. If using leftover roasted squash cubes, you can skip this step and add an extra cup of stock to the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the stock and reserved squash-cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Stir in the sage and pepper and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the beans, turkey, and parsley. Pour over the squash in the dish. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

For the biscuit topping, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in the butter using your hands or a pastry cutter until crumbly. Stir in the cheese and enough milk to form a sticky dough.

Drop topping by the tablespoonful over the turkey mixture in the baking dish.

Bake the pot pie for 25 to 30 minutes, until topping is golden. Dust with cayenne or paprika before serving. Serves 6.

TURKEY STOCK (AKA BONE BROTH)

Always save all of the bones, wings, and trimmings from your holiday turkey (or roast chicken) to make stock. I usually include a parsnip, like my grandmother did, when making stock as it adds a lovely sweet note. Clear turkey or chicken soup is the perfect base for other soups, for making risotto or to cure a cold in flu season, whether your add egg noodles or simple serve it in a mug. Homemade bone broth freezes well and is like money in the bank!

1 roast turkey carcass (meat removed) and scraps

1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks

2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 stalks celery, with leaves, cut into chunks

1 onion, quartered

2 tsp salt

4 to 5 black peppercorns

3 sprigs of fresh parsley

Place the turkey carcass and any leftover bones in a large stockpot.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and cover with cold water (the carcass should be submerged (break it into pieces if necessary).

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for several hours, topping up with more water as it boils away.

You can also do this in a pressure cooker in about 30 minutes, the pressure actually releases more of the flavour and collagen from the bones. Then release the pressure and simmer to reduce slightly and concentrate the broth.

Let the mixture cool somewhat before straining through a sieve or cheesecloth. Discard the bones and vegetables. Skim excess fat, leaving just enough fat so you can see the "eyes" on the top of your broth, then refrigerate or freeze. Makes about 12 cups.

LEFTOVER TURKEY SURPRISE

The big surprise here is that no one will know you’re recycling. This savoury bread pudding makes a great weekday dinner or Sunday brunch dish, when you have roast turkey squirreled away in the freezer. Feel free to change up the vegetables in the pudding and use other fresh herbs like rosemary or oregano.

4-5 cups cubed sourdough or olive bread

1/2 cup sauteed onions or 3 green onions, chopped

Leftover roasted vegetables, chopped (brussels sprouts, roasted carrots and/or winter squash)

2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (Italian parsley, thyme, sage)

1 cup shredded Mozzarella or friulano cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan or asiago cheese

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups chopped roasted turkey, dark or light meat

6 slices prosciutto ham, slivered

In a large bowl, combine the bread, onions, roasted vegetables and half of the cheeses.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour this over the bread and stir until most of the liquid had been absorbed.

Rub a deep 8-inch round or square baking dish with olive oil to lightly coat. Pour half of the bread mixture into the casserole. Combine the turkey and prosciutto and spread evenly over top. Finish with the remaining bread mixture, pressing down lightly. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, until puffed and nicely browned on top. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

TURKEY TORTILLA SOUP

With a ripe avocado, a few corn tortillas, and a little leftover roast turkey, this simple soup comes together in minutes. This is also a great place to use the bone broth you made with the turkey carcass.

¼ cup canola oil

2 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips

4 cups turkey stock (canned or homemade bone broth)

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)

6 drops hot sauce (or more to taste)

8 oz leftover roast turkey, cut into strips

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

1 firm but ripe avocado, peeled and chopped

2 green onions, chopped, for garnish

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

In a sauté pan over high, heat the canola oil until nearly smoking. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the tortilla strips, cooking until crisp and lightly browned. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the stock, tomatoes, and lime juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and stir in the hot sauce and leftover turkey. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the chicken is heated through. Taste and

adjust seasoning with pepper, more hot sauce, or a touch of salt, if necessary.

Arrange the crispy tortilla strips in the bottoms of 4 shallow soup bowls, and top each with a quarter of the cheese. Add the avocado to the bowls and ladle the hot soup over top, making sure to divide the turkey equally among the bowls.

Garnish with the green onion and cilantro (if using) and serve immediately. Serves 4.

HURRY CURRY

Add your leftover roast turkey to this quick creamy curry sauce and you’ll have a dish reminiscent of the butter chicken from your local curry house. Find garam masala and fenugreek leaves as Indian groceries. This curry is even better reheated the next day, after the flavours have had time to marry.

¼ cup butter

1 medium onion, minced

1-inch knob ginger, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp garam masala

1 rounded tsp turmeric

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), crushed

1½ cups turkey or chicken stock (homemade or commercial)

1 (680-ml) jar plain Italian strained tomatoes (passata)

1-2 tsp hot Asian chili paste or Chili Crisp

Honey, to taste

Salt, to taste

½ cup whipping cream

2 to 3 cups leftover roast turkey, cut into large cubes

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Hot, cooked basmati rice, for serving

In a saucepan over medium, heat the butter, and sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic together for about 10 minutes, until starting to brown. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, and fenugreek, and cook for 1 minute to release the aromas.

Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Stir in the chili paste. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until the mixture is thickened.

Add a little honey or salt to adjust the balance, and more chili paste if needed.

Stir in the cream and return to a simmer. Add the leftover turkey and heat through until bubbling, then stir in two thirds of the cilantro.

Serve over hot basmati rice, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro. (Alternatively, chill the turkey curry overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat to serve). Serves 4.

©CindaChavich2025