Delicious and Creative Ways to Use Up All That Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving is over and all the guests have left with full stomachs and smiles on their faces (hopefully!)- but now you have a fridge filled with leftovers- pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce, the works. And probably what you'll have the most to finish up? All of that turkey. And the catch? You have a limited time to eat it before it goes bad! It would be a shame to waste, but honestly there are only so many turkey sandwiches one can eat. So that raises the question many hosts face each year, what to do with all that extra food?

Luckily for us, a lot of chefs have also considered this dilemma. So I've put together a delicious list of ways you can use up those leftovers without throwing them away (or getting sick of turkey!). I've also included links to easy and reliable recipes below each suggestion to help you get started on your turkey-eating-marathon! 

1. Turkey Soup

This is number one on my list because I've actually done this before and if you haven't, trust me, you're missing out! Turkey soup is both delicious and a perfect opener to the winter/holiday season. And you can use more than just your leftover turkey for this recipe; throw in your leftover potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, and more to top off a perfect, hearty lunch or dinnertime treat!

Click here to see a recipe for homemade turkey soup:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/homemade-turkey-soup/4fdb9be4-b375-4d3e-960a-f83c46a160ce

2. Turkey Chili

Another yummy wintertime meal! When it's cold outside, there is nothing like a nice bowl of hot chili. There are tons of chili recipes out there featuring turkey, so I'm confident you'll be able to find one that appeals to you. Chili is both easy to make and popular, so you should have no problem finding people to share it with!

Click here to see a Turkey Chili Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-specials/turkey-chili-recipe/index.html

3. Turkey Pot Pie

This recipe can combine multiple of our frequent Thanksgiving leftovers- almost all of them really! If cooked your dessert pies from scratch, then you can use your left over pie crust

to start- and if baking is not your style and you were one of many of us who chose a nice, store-bought pie- that's okay too! It's easy enough to find pre-made pie crust to use. Then the rest is easy! FIll it up with all your Thanksgiving favorites- turkey, peas, corn, gravy, carrots, celery, and more. Heat up some mashed potatoes for your side and you've got yourself an amazing meal that won't remind you that you're still working on those leftovers. 

Click here to see an easy-to-make Turkey Pot Pie recipe: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/classic-turkey-pot-pie/222c3cef-31cc-4936-abfd-cc72611c16c4

4. The Thanksgiving Sandwich

There are all different names for this food item depending on where you go, but I just

refer to it as the Thanksgiving Sandwich. It is one of my personal favorites- and not just during the Thanksgiving season! This idea is definitely the easiest one to make, but trust me it is just as delicious as the rest. Just take a piece of bread, and after toasting it, put on your desired amount of turkey. Then here comes the good part, load it up with as many leftovers as you want! Starting with the basics; stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy, then top it off with whatever else you like (cranberry sauce, peas, corn, ect). But like many southern treats, this is not a meal for our low calorie lovers! But hey, it's the holidays- so whose really counting calories anyway? 


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