Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Recipes

A cooked Thanksgiving turkey is the gift that keeps on giving. So keep reading to see a few of my recipes that will have you coming back for more succulent turkey leftovers. (And click on any recipe name to be directed to my blog post with all the tasty recipe text and yummy photo illustrations.)

The easiest and quickest use of Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving leftovers is to just pile them between sliced bread or a crusty bread roll. I like mine with stuffing, cranberry sauce, warm gravy and turkey.

Click on any photo to see larger.

But to kick the sandwich up to an Ultimate Turkey Sandwich, just crisp up in the frying pan some of that uneaten soggy turkey skin.

It is a decadent and tasty addition to a classic Turkey Sandwich. Check out my recipe video below for a little culinary decadence.



Be for you go cold turkey, try my gobbling spin on a Chicken Salad. I like the crunchy addition of chopped celery in this recipe that you can rename Turkey Salad. It's a short ingredient list and you can use dark and white meat turkey leftovers. And I like my Turkey Salad between 2 slices of a bagel, and you can also put a large scoop on your fave salad!

A most popular leftover for the coldest days of winter is a warm and soothing Turkey Soup. I hope you saved the poultry carcass?

For the tastiest soup, it's best to boil leftover roasted turkey bones and turkey bits in a pot of seasoned water. Once the water is simmering on low, just step away for an hour, and meanwhile, do a little veggie and leftover turkey chopping to add with strained turkey broth.

My Turkey Soup recipe link here, is based on a typical Chicken Soup, so just substitute with cooked leftover turkey.

My Chicken Soup recipe starts with uncooked chicken, so this Turkey Soup spin-off will be done in less time -- just simmer long enough to tenderize the chopped carrot, onion and celery. This soup is easier with cooked turkey.

If you feel a bit more ambitious, then rustle up a Cajun classic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, but with leftover turkey instead of chicken.

My Mom lives in Louisiana and she sure knows how to do a Gumbo. This is another cold-weather dish. Serve Mom's Turkey and Sausage Gumbo over rice. Again you can reduce the prep time because the leftover turkey is already cooked. And another shortcut is using a pre-made Gumbo base called a roux, that is often stocked in regular grocery stores.

Check out my video below for all the tasty details.

A pot pie is the most soothing of winter meals, and my Turkey Pot Pie made with Thanksgiving leftovers will have you returning for seconds and thirds!

For my simple recipe, I used a grocery store frozen pie crust that covers the leftovers. And all you do is load up a deep baking dish like you would a lasagna - layering mashed potatoes or yams, veggies, stuffing, turkey and gravy.

My video below lays it on thick, that is, with plenty of delish leftovers.

You had Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving and didn't get enough of the sweet stuff? Well if you had an overabundance of baked or boiled sweet potato, then bake a Sweet Potato Pie! 

This Southern and Soul Food classic is really simple to do and my Mom has her Pumpkin Pie recipe that is easily made with cooked leftover sweet potatoes, and it's a click away right here.



I hope you had a great gathering of family and some friends for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. And do check back for more 99 cent cheap$kate deliciousness.

Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Recipes

A cooked Thanksgiving turkey is the gift that keeps on giving. So keep reading to see a few of my recipes that will have you coming back for more succulent turkey leftovers. (And click on any recipe name to be directed to my blog post with all the tasty recipe text and yummy photo illustrations.)

The easiest and quickest use of Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving leftovers is to just pile them between sliced bread or a crusty bread roll. I like mine with stuffing, cranberry sauce, warm gravy, and turkey.

Click on any photo to see larger.

But to kick the sandwich up to an Ultimate Turkey Sandwich, just crisp up in the frying pan some of that uneaten soggy turkey skin.

It is a decadent and tasty addition to a classic Turkey Sandwich. Check out my recipe video below for a little culinary decadence.



Be for you go cold turkey, try my gobbling spin on a Chicken Salad. I like the crunchy addition of chopped celery in this recipe that you can rename Turkey Salad. It's a short ingredient list and you can use dark and white meat turkey leftovers. And I like my Turkey Salad between 2 slices of a bagel, and you can also put a large scoop on your fave salad!

A most popular leftover for the coldest days of winter is a warm and soothing Turkey Soup. I hope you saved the poultry carcass?

For the tastiest soup, it's best to boil leftover roasted turkey bones and turkey bits in a pot of seasoned water. Once the water is simmering on low, just step away for an hour, and meanwhile, do a little veggie and leftover turkey chopping to add with strained turkey broth.

My Turkey Soup recipe link here is based on a typical Chicken Soup, so just substitute with cooked leftover turkey.

My Chicken Soup recipe starts with uncooked chicken, so this Turkey Soup spin-off will be done in less time -- just simmer long enough to tenderize the chopped carrot, onion and celery. This soup is easier with cooked turkey.

If you feel a bit more ambitious, then rustle up a Cajun classic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, but with leftover turkey instead of chicken.

My Mom lives in Louisiana and she sure knows how to do a Gumbo. This is another cold-weather dish. Serve Mom's Turkey and Sausage Gumbo over rice. Again you can reduce the prep time because the leftover turkey is already cooked. And another shortcut is using a pre-made Gumbo base called a roux, that is often stocked in regular grocery stores.

Check out my video below for all the tasty details.

A pot pie is the most soothing of winter meals, and my Turkey Pot Pie made with Thanksgiving leftovers will have you returning for seconds and thirds!

For my simple recipe, I used a grocery store frozen pie crust that covers the leftovers. And all you do is load up a deep baking dish like you would a lasagna - layering mashed potatoes or yams, veggies, stuffing, turkey and gravy.

My video below lays it on thick, that is, with plenty of delish leftovers.

You had Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving and didn't get enough of the sweet stuff? Well if you had an overabundance of baked or boiled sweet potato, then bake a Sweet Potato Pie! 

This Southern and Soul Food classic is really simple to do and my Mom has her Pumpkin Pie recipe that is easily made with cooked leftover sweet potatoes, and it's a click away right here.



I hope you had a great gathering of family and some friends for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. And do check back for more 99 cent cheap$kate deliciousness.

Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Recipes

A cooked Thanksgiving turkey is the gift that keeps on giving. So keep reading to see a few of my recipes that will have you coming back for more succulent turkey leftovers. (And click on any recipe name to be directed to my blogpost with all the tasty recipe text and yummy photo illustrations.)

The easiest and quickest use of Thanksgiving leftovers is to just pile them between 2 slices of bread or bread roll. I like mine with stuffing, cranberry sauce, warm gravy and turkey.

Click on any photo to see larger.

But to kick the sandwich up to an Ultimate Turkey Sandwich, just crisp up in the frying pan some of that uneaten soggy turkey skin.

It is a decadent and tasty addition to a classic Turkey Sandwich. Check out my recipe video below for a little culinary decadence.



A most popular leftover for the coldest days of winter is a warm and soothing Turkey Soup. I hope you saved the poultry carcass?

For the tastiest soup it's best to boil leftover roasted turkey bones and turkey bits in a pot of seasoned water. Once the water is simmering on low, just step away for an hour, and meanwhile do a little veggie and leftover turkey chopping to add with strained turkey broth.

My Turkey Soup recipe link here, is based on a typical Chicken Soup, so just substitute with cooked leftover turkey.

My Chicken Soup recipe starts with uncooked chicken, so this Turkey Soup spin-off will be done in less time -- just simmer long enough to tenderize the chopped carrot, onion and celery. This soup is easier with cooked turkey.

If you feel a bit more ambitious, then rustle up a Cajun classic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, but with leftover turkey instead of chicken.

My Mom lives in Louisiana and she sure knows how to do a Gumbo. This is another cold weather dish. Serve Mom's Turkey and Sausage Gumbo over rice. Again you can reduce the prep time because the leftover turkey is already cooked. And another shortcut is using a pre-made Gumbo base called a roux, that is often stocked in regular grocery stores.

Check out my video below for all the tasty details.

A pot pie is the most soothing of winter meals, and my Turkey Pot Pie made with Thanksgiving leftovers will have you returning for seconds and thirds!

For my simple recipe I used a grocery store frozen pie crust that covers the leftovers. And all you do is load up a deep baking dish like you would a lasagna - layering mashed potatoes or yams, veggies, stuffing, turkey and gravy.

My video below lays it on thick, that is, with plenty of delish leftovers.

I hope you had a great gathering of family and some friends for your Thanksgiving. And do check back for more 99 cent cheap$kate deliciousness.

Tea Party Chicken Soup

"Let them eat chicken soup!" The phrase "let them eat cake" (attributed to a callous Marie Antoinette upon learning the peasants were complaining of not having any bread) is credited with launching the French Revolution. Now The 99 Cent Chef has given this 18th Century rallying cry a 21st Century twist!

Since Republicans, Blue Dog Democrats, and especially the Tea Party, are against ObamaCare, I offer them my freshly coined slogan to use against the complaining uninsured and uninsurable during the next election cycle. Plus, this affordable and easy recipe is perfect for printing on the backside of any campaign posters!

So, "Let them eat Chicken Soup!" And meanwhile, let's throw a Tea Party Chicken Soup soiree!

Fortunately, The 99 Cent Chef's delicious and healthy recipe is affordable to everyone. Now it may not cure breast cancer, or treat your coughing infant, but my Tea Party Chicken Soup will go down easy and tide you over until our National Health Care Act goes into effect in 2014. And just in case the newly elected House Majority manages to dismantle (and make the law as unpalatable as possible with expensive add-ons), or block the bill, or the Supreme Court strikes it down -- no need to fret, my chicken soup freezes fine and can be thawed out for future use!

At present there are millions of American citizens without health care insurance, either because they're deemed ineligible by insurance companies and HMO's, or can no longer afford to buy it. Now that's a lot of 99 Cent Chef home-remedy Chicken Soup to consume.

So if you are still looking for work, or if your COBRA Continuation Health Coverage is about to expire, don't fret. Anyone who cannot afford a doctors visit can make my nourishing cheap dish. And you are not disqualified because of a pre-existing medical condition from partaking in my healthy chicken-in-every-pot meal.

I always find chicken for way less than a dollar a pound; and this is the perfect recipe for using up all those leftover veggies in the fridge. I purchased chicken leg quarters from my local Latin market for 69 cents a pound; and I've bought chicken breast for 99 cents a pound, on sale, at regular chain grocery stores. The main veggies I use are also the cheapest -- onions, carrots and celery.

So until one of the most prosperous democracies in the world decides to join Canada and most of Europe in providing universal heath care, be sure to eat plenty of my Tea Party Chicken Soup -- a sure cure for what ails you!

Go ahead and dig in, and sorry I don't do house calls. Now, while some of my readers will disagree with my heath care stance, you cannot repeal the delicious flavor of my latest entree!

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

• 3 chicken leg quarters - okay to use chicken breasts (about 3) or any poultry parts you prefer. I removed the skin from half of the pieces. And I leave the chicken on the bone for a more flavorful broth.
• 2 ribs of celery - sliced.
• 2 carrots - chopped.
• 1 whole onion - chopped.
• 1 teaspoon garlic - from jar or fresh chopped.
• 1 bay leaf - you can use any favorite herb (dried or fresh) for extra flavor. I grow sage and basil.
• 8 cups of water - or water plus your favorite stock. Or you can throw in a couple of chicken bouillon cubes for an extra intense chicken flavor.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

*Optional additions when soup is almost done (adding 2 extra cups of water): 1/2 package of pasta (about 7 ounces). I got "Melon Seed", but any small elbow, bowtie or orzo, will do -- or add 1/2 cup of brown or white rice.

Directions
In a large soup pot add 1 teaspoon of oil to coat the bottom. Over a medium/ high heat cook chopped onion until soft, about 5 minutes. (Photo shows chicken browning with onions -optional.)

Next add chopped garlic, and cook for a minute, stirring frequently. Finally add carrot, celery, herbs, chicken, and eight cups of water and/or stock (make that 10 cups if you are adding pasta or rice later). Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken from soup and allow to cool on a plate. Peel off  the cooling meat from the bones. Chop or shred meat into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back to soup and heat through. Ready to serve when hot.

* My Tea Party Chicken Soup is adaptable. You can add potatoes to chopped veggies. Cauliflower or broccoli is a nice addition, during the last 15 minutes of cooking. I am growing nutritious collard greens this winter so I added a chopped handful.

* Add 1/2 package of pasta (about 7 ounces) -- or you can use 1/2 cup of white or brown rice. Add rice or pasta during the last stage during chicken shredding. Cook according to package directions (be sure make soup with 10 cups of liquid instead of 8, because pasta or rice sucks up broth like a sponge).

Savory Chicken and Rice - Deal of the Day

98% fat free and low sodium, Campbell's "Select Harvest Savory Chicken and Long Grain Rice" soup is a healthy Deal of the Day. Just check out my photo where I hold a real spoonful next to the can photo; this is a case of truth-in-advertising. Hefty white meat chunks of chicken with large pieces of carrot, celery and plump grains of rice in a savory broth, the one pound 2 oz. can is enough for a full meal. A convenient pop top can makes this soup portable and it microwaves hot in a couple of minutes.

As with all canned foodstuffs, the veggie texture is soft with overcooking, but the real chicken chunks hold up well, and the overall flavor is not overpowered by the common canning problem of too much salt. I picked up a few cans at this 99c only Store Thursday. Nothing beats mom's chicken soup, but for 99.99 cents Campbell's Select Harvest chicken soup is a comforting Deal of the Day.

 Using The 99 Cent Chef's 9 point rating system (9 being best), I give it a 7 !

And what goes with chicken soup? Grilled cheese of course! The Chef made a "Rainy Days & Grilled Cheese" video last year that you can view here.
April is officially "Grilled Cheese Month" and L.A. is celebrating downtown next Saturday April 25 with a "Grilled Cheese Invitational" celebration, click here for details to participate as a competitor or sampler.