15 Deliciously Creative Left-over Turkey Recipes

15 deliciously creative recipes for Thanksgiving left-over Turkey! A must-try if you want to try new and easy dishes for the family!

Hope you all had a lovely  Thanksgiving!!! Now that this major holiday is over the big question is: what do we do with all these left-over Turkey? Have no fear, we've got you covered. We researched online and found 15 delicious and creative ways to use all that meat! Enjoy!

Lemon Cilantro (or Coriander) Chicken

Fresh lemon juice, aromatic spices and herbs add so much flavor to this succulent chicken dish. Easy and delicious option for a weeknight family meal!

What a disaster! No, not this recipe, thankfully, but the fact that I lost the video for this recipe. It is frustrating as I really worked hard to make a video for this and even missed an appointment to finish it on time and then in the twinkle of an eye, it was gone....all gone.

Whole Roast Masala Chicken (Indian-style)

Flavored with aromatic spices, this whole roast Masala Chicken (Indian-style) comes out so yummy! The skin is deliciously crisp and the meat is tender and moist. This roast is very easy and quick to prepare, too.

When I was pregnant for the first time 10 years ago with our eldest son, the main food I craved was roast chicken. I had a really bad "morning" sickness (of course, it could be anytime of the day!) for the first 4 months or so and nothing seemed to calm my stomach and made me happier than roast chicken! I don't know why that was but I guess I should just be happy my cravings were not too "exotic" or hard to find!

Slow Cooker Red-Cooked Chicken

I love cooking Chinese food. It really is, next to Filipino cuisine, my favorite. Whenever I crave something with Asian flavors that means family dinner will have rice and a Chinese viand. Also, it's much easier to find ingredients for Chinese recipes nowadays as chances are you are within walking or driving distance from a Chinese store. However that is not often the case with my Filipino ingredients although of late many Asian stores now carry some of the basic Filipino must-haves for cooking. For this reason, Asian night means mostly Chinese night.

Country-Style Chicken Kiev

In our church in Holland, MI the ladies came up with a fantastic cook book that contained recipes that are not only family friendly and easy to make, they were also very much palate-pleasing, too. When I was just starting to learn how to cook - a little over a decade ago - this book was my companion and reference guide for meals that I prepared for hubby and the kids.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Before I converted my hubby to become a pork and beef lover (particularly ribs), he pretty much ate only chicken. Let me correct that, he ate pork but only in the form of breakfast sausages and particularly the British variety as he believes they make the best sausages in the world - I must say, I do agree. At any rate, he still prefers to have chicken over red meat as he is quite health conscious (I am obviously not as good as him as I love pork too much!).

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

It's summer time and as you know, no one wants to use the oven during sizzling hot days. Hence, the magical slow cooker becomes the numero uno kitchen appliance that comes in handy. This summer I intend to use it for making all kinds of food from appetizers, main dishes and desserts! Love that you can just dump all the ingredients in and voila a few hours later, you have the most amazing, moist and flavorful dish! 

Thai Ginger Chicken

I love stir-fries. They are  not only easy to make, they cook in minutes and the flavors are always awesome! Because it's done in a flash, the veggies tend not to be overcooked and so still retain their nutrients. So, if there is a style of cooking that also showcases fresh flavors from each ingredient, it has to be a stir-fry.

When I was growing up, we had a helper who almost always made us a stir-fry practically every night. It was really flavorful and she would always tell us that her secret ingredient in making it tasty is the fresh ginger. Of course, when I was young I didn't really care much for it. At that time, I still didn't know how to appreciate the importance of using spices such as ginger to liven up the flavor of a dish. I just wasn't much of a ginger fan then. But now that I have been cooking for more than 10 years, I am happy to add fresh ginger to a dish whenever suitable. It just lends a wonderful aroma, just enough pungency and zest to any dish, whether sweet or savory. That is what you will get from this Thai Ginger Chicken dish, a gingery flavor that adds complexity and depth to this yummy stir-fry without overpowering it. Of course, the flavorful sauce combo of fish or soy sauces plus oyster sauce makes this a truly delicious dish! Don't forget to serve with freshly cooked Jasmine rice.

Ingredients

1-2 Tablespoons Fish sauce or Soy Sauce, or to taste*
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/2-1 Tablespoon brown Sugar, or to taste
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 lb Chicken breast(s), cut into bite-size chunks
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-inch size fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced thinly (you can also cut them up like matchsticks)
1/2 cup Mushrooms,* sliced
1 medium yellow Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips*
1-2 Thai Chili peppers, chopped (if you like it spicy though you can remove the seeds so it won't be too hot)
1/4 cup or a small bunch of Green Onions/Scallions, cut into 1-inch length
Some fresh Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Note: I used fresh Shiitake mushrooms as I had them at hand. If using this, use about 6-8 pieces, depending on their size.

I added yellow peppers because I had some but 1 red bell pepper is enough.

If you don't fancy fish sauce or cannot find it, you can replace it with soy sauce. Feel free to adjust the quantity to suit your taste.

Procedure

The key to making a successful stir-fry is to ensure that all the ingredients are prepared/measured beforehand, placed in individual bowls/plates and are within easy reach when cooking. The cooking itself would be so quick that there's no time to be looking for or measuring ingredients so make sure you have everything ready.

Combine the fish or soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar  in a bowl. I usually taste this and see if I like the flavor combo that comes out 'cause sometimes I don't measure when I cook so feel free to so use your taste buds, too. Set aside. Have the bowl nearby. 

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan on medium high. When hot add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute. Push the chicken pieces to the side and quickly add the ginger and garlic and let sizzle just until aromatic; this is just a matter of seconds. Add the chopped onion, mushrooms and bell pepper and continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the veggies are tender. You can also add the Thai chili peppers, if using. Pour the sauce then stir to ensure everything is nicely glazed. Add the green onions then give it another quick stir. Remove from the heat, garnish with some fresh cilantro and serve with jasmine rice. 

If you wish to print the recipe, there's a print-friendly icon at the end of the post. Click on the "remove images box" for easy and convenient printing.

If you like what you see and would like to receive new recipe updates, we'd love you to subscribe to our posts or join our site. Needless to say, we'd love you to like us on Facebook too where you can get more recipes and updates. Thanks and happy browsing!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken and bacon, you simply can't go wrong with this delicious combination! But how about adding spinach and ricotta cheese to the mix? Even better, I'd say and this dish has it all! Stuffed with a delicious spinach and ricotta filling and then wrapped in bacon for extra flavor, these perfectly baked, moist and succulent chicken breasts are simply mouth-wateringly good! Are you hungry yet?

Turkey with Peas and Creamed Corn

After cooking that 20-lb Turkey, you can imagine how much left-over we had, after all we are a tiny family of 4 - two adults and two small kids whose appetites aren't that great yet, unless of course it's sweets then they do eat like adults. Savory food on the other hand, they have their favorites and their not-so-much-their-kind-of-food-group. Hence, since we would be eating Turkey for quite awhile I had to make sure the recipe was not just edible, but truly palatable, too - something that even the pickiest eaters would love. I know my kids love pasta and any creamy sauce with it. They love corn and are not averse to peas - hence, all these process of elimination gave birth to this quick and easy Turkey with Peas and Creamed Corn recipe.

Left-over Turkey Hash

Now that Christmas Days is past and done, perhaps you are once again left with too much Turkey. While you probably already have a few staple recipes that you use for these left-over pieces, it certainly doesn't hurt to add more to your repertoire especially something that's so easy to make and that packs in a lot of flavor.

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken with Courgettes (Zucchini)

We went to England in 2010 and stayed with my hubby's very good friend, Robin, while in London. His wife was away visiting her family abroad at that time so he was left in-charge of taking care of us and feeding us. Wow, I was almost afraid for him - not that we are difficult guests (LOL) but just because I didn't want him to make a fuss or to be intimidated with our presence.

Tinolang Manok (Opo Squash and Ginger Chicken Soup)

Nowadays, we are trying to eat a little healthier than usual (with occasional sweet treats of course!) and so I have decided to look back on my heritage to try and make more Filipino style dishes that are both nutritionally more beneficial and flavorful, too. In the Tagalog Region, where my little island belong, a lot of our food are soup-based - with veggies and meat added in and lots of garlic, onion, tomatoes and ginger added for flavor!

Chicken Afritada

Much like the other Filipino classic dishes namely Adobo, Pansit, and Menudo - the Afritada is also quite popular and is often served at birthdays, weddings and other gatherings. Much like Menudo, Mechado and Kaldereta, Afritada is highly influenced by the "estofado" or Spanish stew.

Pollo al Ajillo (Chicken with Garlic)

This Chicken dish needs no elaboration. Chicken with Garlic, you can already imagine how flavorful it would be....add to the mix, extra-virgin olive oil and some dry sherry...how can you go wrong?

Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)

When we went to Africa, it was the first time we have heard of Frikadelles (or meatballs). We were so happy to have been acquainted with such a dish that I truly begged (ok - asked nicely) to get the South African recipe for the delicious meatballs we had. It was simply amazing that we couldn't forget how wonderful these meatballs tasted. We have made it at home many many times and never tire of it.

Chicken Ramen

In 2009, we went back to the Philippines to visit my family for the Holidays. En route we stopped by Tokyo so we can see what it's like in Japan during the Holidays and also to have a much needed break after that long trip from Chicago. Once we landed and after checking-in at our hotel, we immediately went to search for food (airlines don't feed you much nowadays, do they?).

Chicken with Creamed Corn

There are definitely days when you simply don't have the time to cook an elaborate meal no matter how much you want to. When this happens I am glad that I have a few recipes that I can easily whip up, which don't take too much time to make and with ingredients that I usually keep in my pantry. This Chicken with Creamed Corn is one of my staples. My mom always made this in the Philippines and everyone who've tried this often asks for the recipe.

Coconut Chicken Curry

Having grown up surrounded by coconut trees in our little island, called Marinduque, in the Philippines I love anything with coconut flavors. And we do use coconuts (tree and fruit) for everything that you can imagine. I don't know how our country will survive without this towering plant from the Palm family. We use its logs to build houses, leaves for roofing, oil for cooking and making our hair shiny, coconut husks for charcoal and of course it's meat for snacking, baking and plain eating. In the midst of a heatwave in the Philippines, nothing can be more refreshing than fresh coconut juice from a freshly opened young coconut! The possibilities are truly endless and I haven't even mentioned coconut milk!

Chicken and Cashew Nuts Stir-fry



Probably one of the earliest dish that I have ever made since I got married is this Chicken and Cashew Nuts Stir-fry. It's been a household staple since then. When we have guests over, I usually prepare an Asian meal and unless, a Nut allergy has been made known to us beforehand, this is usually a part of the meal.

It complements Pansit (Filipino Noodles) - they are like sisters! I always have them together and no one has ever complained so I have never changed the pairing!

The only thing difficult (if you can even justifiably call it "difficult" - it may be a stretch....) is the preparation - the actual cutting up of the ingredients. Thankfully, the ingredients are not that challenging to cut or chop. Ok, it's never fun to peel garlic but just be happy there's no onions to add to your agony.

The actual cooking itself takes about 5-7 minutes, depending on how fast your reflexes are - or if you have properly prepared the ingredients in advance. That is a must!

The result is an amazingly flavorful dish considering that it doesn't cook that long; well, it is a stir-fry after all. Anyway, before you make it and you should - your guests would surely be wowed! - just make sure that all the ingredients are ready, ok? That's it! Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Peanut oil (Vegetable oil is fine, if you can't have Peanut Oil)
4-6 whole garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (or minced, if you prefer)
1 lb skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into finger-size strips
1-2 Red Bell Peppers (2 if they're not too big), cut into strips
3 Tablespoons Rice wine or dry Sherry
5 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce (or to taste)*
1/2 cup Roasted Cashew Nuts (you can also dry roast them quickly on the stove-top)
5-6 scallions (Green Onions), cut into 1-inch lengths
A few drops of Sesame oil, to taste

*Use a gluten-free Hoisin sauce if you wish to make this fully gluten-free.

Procedure

Heat up the oil using medium-high heat in a wok or a large frying pan. Saute the garlic quickly. Just let it sizzle for a few seconds but without letting it burn. Add the chicken strips and cook just until they change their color about 2 minutes more or less. Add the bell peppers and continue to stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the rice wine or dry sherry and the Hoisin sauce. Coat the chicken and peppers with the sauce as you stir-fry and cook until the chicken is tender.

Stir in the cashew nuts, scallions and the sesame oil. Serve immediately. Perfect with rice.

If you like what you see and would like to receive new recipe updates, feel free to subscribe to our posts, join our site or like us on Facebook. Happy browsing!