When the sky stays gray and the house feels chilly, a turkey dinner gives you a reason to keep the kitchen busy. These 13 recipes turn leftover turkey, ground turkey, and whole cuts into sandwiches, soups, casseroles, roasts, and air-fryer plates. Choose a warm bowl for lunch, a simple meal for the evening, or a roast that leaves slices for another day.
Leftover Turkey Mashed Potato Patties
After the holiday meal, Leftover Turkey Mashed Potato Patties turn leftover mashed potatoes, stuffing, and diced turkey into crisp skillet cakes in 25 minutes. Green onions add a fresh note, while a little flour helps the patties hold together as they brown. The recipe makes four servings, so it suits a quiet lunch or a small supper. Set out cranberry sauce or leftover gravy while they are still warm.
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Turkey & Apple Grilled Cheese
Golden edges and a tart apple crunch give Turkey & Apple Grilled Cheese a little more going on than the usual sandwich. Smoked turkey, green apple, garlic Manchego, mozzarella, and sourdough come together in 15 minutes, with cheddar as an easy cheese swap. Four servings make it handy for a relaxed lunch or a fast dinner when the weather keeps everyone close to the stove.
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Turkey Tortilla Soup
When the afternoon turns cold, Turkey Tortilla Soup brings shredded or diced leftover turkey into a tomato-rich broth with black beans, corn, jalapeño, and bell pepper. It takes 30 minutes and makes eight servings, enough to warm up lunch now and save some for later. Finish each bowl with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, or shredded cheese for a hearty meal with a little kick.
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Turkey Roll Roast
A smaller roast is easier to manage on a gray afternoon, and Turkey Roll Roast brings sliced turkey to the table without cooking a whole bird. The eight-serving roast is rubbed with butter, sage, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder, then baked until it reaches 165°F and rested for 10 minutes. Serve it with potatoes and vegetables, then keep extra slices for sandwiches the next day.
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Turkey Pot Pies with Puff Pastry
The first cut through Turkey Pot Pies with Puff Pastry reveals chunks of turkey, carrots, celery, and peas beneath a flaky lid. Store-bought puff pastry keeps the work manageable, and the four-serving recipe takes 40 minutes from start to finish. A creamy filling makes these individual pies well suited to dinner when you want something substantial from leftover turkey, with little extra bread needed on the side.
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Smoked Turkey Thighs
Smoke curling from the backyard can make a gray afternoon feel like a good time to slow dinner down. Smoked Turkey Thighs take about 2 hours and 10 minutes, serve four, and use turkey thighs seasoned with Montreal chicken seasoning. The meat rests briefly before slicing, making this a satisfying main course with roasted vegetables or potatoes when you have time to let the smoker work.
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Turkey Stuffed Shells with Pesto
A pan of Turkey Stuffed Shells with Pesto gives leftover turkey a different place at the dinner table. Giant pasta shells hold a filling of turkey, ricotta, egg, green onions, mozzarella, and parsley, with pesto served over the top. The four-serving dish takes 50 minutes and can be doubled or frozen, so it works for a chilly evening now or a later meal already waiting in the freezer.
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Turkey & Apple Panini
Pressed until crisp, Turkey & Apple Panini layers thinly sliced turkey with apple, sharp cheddar, sage, and apple butter between slices of bread. The recipe takes 15 minutes and makes two sandwiches, a useful size for a quick lunch or a simple supper beside a bowl of soup. Its warm, savory filling and sweet-tart apple bring a little variety to leftover turkey without turning dinner into a project.
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Turkey Pot Pie Soup
Steam rising from Turkey Pot Pie Soup makes a bowl feel right at home on a cold, gray day. Leftover turkey simmers with carrots, celery, potatoes, peas, corn, and cream for a thick soup that takes 50 minutes and serves eight. Pieces of baked pie crust can go on top, echoing the flaky pastry of a pot pie while keeping the filling easy to ladle into bowls.
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Broccoli Casserole with Turkey
Bubbling edges and a crunchy topping make Broccoli Casserole with Turkey a hearty way to use holiday leftovers. Fresh broccoli and diced turkey are folded into a creamy mixture with bacon, cream cheese, onion, and stock, then baked for a total of 30 minutes. It serves six and can anchor dinner on its own or join a simple soup-and-salad spread when the evening calls for something warm from the oven.
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Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
In just 18 minutes, Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs turn ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, and parsley into a batch of tender bites. The recipe makes four servings, and the meatballs can go over spaghetti, into a sub, or under your preferred sauce. Their short cook time suits a busy afternoon when you want a hot turkey dinner without heating the whole oven.
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Turkey à la King
Weeknight dinner gets a pastry-topped finish with Turkey à la King, a creamy mixture spooned into baked puff pastry shells. Cooked turkey joins mushrooms, celery, carrot, peas, red bell pepper, and cream in the filling; the card lists 5 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking. Four servings make it a practical choice for using extra turkey in a warm meal, with a crisp green salad alongside.
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Air Fryer Turkey Breast
On a day when you want roast turkey without a long oven session, Air Fryer Turkey Breast pairs a bone-in, skin-on breast with softened butter and dried herbs. The card gives 55 minutes total and four servings, with thyme, marjoram, parsley, oregano, and tarragon in the herb blend. Let the meat rest before slicing and serve it with vegetables, or save the extra for sandwiches and soup.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Turkey Breast