5 Ways To Upgrade Your Leftover Turkey

1. Thanksgiving Leftovers Pockets

Ingredients
for 10 servings

3 cups mashed potato
1 cup turkey, shredded
1 cup corn
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
empanada wrapper

Preparation

Combine mashed potatoes, shredded turkey, and corn in a medium-sized bowl.
Whisk together the egg and water for the egg wash.
Lay out empanada wrappers on a lightly floured surface. Brush egg wash over surface of wrappers.
Scoop two tablespoons of the mashed potato mixture into the center of each wrapper.
Fold each wrapper in half and press the edges together so it is sealed.
Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a skillet on medium heat.
Cook pierogi for 1-2 minutes on both sides.
Serve with gravy and cranberry sauce. Yum!
Enjoy!

2. Thanksgiving Leftovers Breakfast Bake

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 9

3 cups stuffing

12 eggs

1 cup shredded turkey

½ cup carrots

⅓ cup green onions

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350° F/176° C.

2. Shred the turkey and dice the carrots and green onions.

3. Whisk together 12 eggs in a large bowl.

4. Add turkey, carrots, green onions, salt, and pepper. Mix.

5. Scoop stuffing into a greased square baking pan. Push it down with a spoon to make an even layer for crust.

6. Pour egg mixture evenly into the pan.

7. Bake for 45 mins.

8. Enjoy!

3. Thanksgiving Leftovers: Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients
for 4 servings

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup peas
1 cup mushrooms
3 cups turkey, cooked, diced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup
½ cup heavy cream
4 cups mashed potato
cooking spray, as needed

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Melt butter in a large pot. Then add onions and carrots and cook until tender (about 5 minutes on medium heat).
Add in mushrooms and peas. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Then, add in the turkey, salt, pepper, parsley, and thyme and stir until well-blended. Pour in the gravy and heavy cream, stir, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a greased baking dish or ramekins. Top with leftover mashed potatoes (use a piping bag to achieve the look of our pie).
Mist with nonstick cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned and the filling is bubbly around the edges. (This may get messy, so clean up the edges before serving.)
Enjoy!

4. Turkey Soup

Here's what you need:

- 4 Tbsp. butter

- 1 medium onion

- 4 carrots

- 4 celery sticks

- 3 cloves garlic

- 1 1/2 lbs cooked turkey

- 64 fl oz chicken broth

- 1 1/2 cup diced parsley

- 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme

- Salt

- Pepper

- 8 oz egg noodles

Directions

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, melt butter, add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and cook until vegetables are softened, but not brown.

2. Add turkey, then chicken stock, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring liquid to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add egg noodles, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4. Serve hot.

5. Leftover Turkey Stuffed Squash

Ingredients
for 4 servings

2 acorn squashes
2 cups leftover turkey, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Using a sharp knife, slice off the top and bottom of an acorn squash to create flat surfaces. Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Place the squash halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the squash is tender and easily pierced with a paring knife.
Then heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Toss in the onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables are completely tender, about 8 minutes.
Sprinkle in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in the turkey leftovers and stir the mixture so that everything is evenly mixed.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl and let it cool about 5 minutes.
Crack in the eggs and mix so that everything is evenly coated.
Spoon the turkey mixture into the squash halves.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the turkey mixture has browned slightly.
Serve and enjoy!