Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you and your family are enjoying some well-deserved family time and a big turkey dinner together. This year we celebrated Thanksgiving with all the cousins at Grandma’s house. It was loud and busy and kind of chaotic, but it was the best kind of chaos, if you know what I mean!
With the arrival of crisp fall weather and Thanksgiving celebrations underway, it only makes sense that October is Canadian Turkey Month. The best part of Thanksgiving is celebrating the harvest and family and gratitude over a festive meal with family and friends. Of course we have turkey dinner on the brain!
As far as I’m concerned, the only thing better than a roast turkey dinner with all the fixings is turkey leftovers! Mmm…next day turkey with leftover stuffing, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup…we even put it in cheesy omelets the next morning!
You have to be smart when it comes to leftovers though. Be strategic by buying a turkey that’s a few pounds heavier than you need for your main meal. While sitting down to your Thanksgiving feast, the family will never guess that this meal is doing double duty with bonus meal starter packs for busy weeknights ahead.
Leftover turkey can be shredded, cubed, or sliced, then stored in the freezer to be used as a handy base for healthy meals. These portions of pure lean protein are your best friend in the kitchen! Use them in soups, salads, pastas, casseroles, wraps, sandwiches, and whatever else you can think of.
10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Turkey Leftovers
- To plan for leftovers, order a turkey that is several pounds bigger than what you need. That way you can be sure to cook once and eat twice, with leftover turkey to spare for additional meals once everyone has had their fill.
- Plan for leftovers by allocating 1½ – 2 pounds of turkey per person. This will give you ½ to 1 pound of extra turkey for each person at your table.
- Leftover turkey freezes well. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for a quick start to weekday meals. Visit www.canadianturkey.ca for recipe inspiration and make salads, soups, pastas, or casseroles in a snap!
- Make a list of your favourite leftover turkey recipes. Add to that list so when the holiday season comes around every year, you will have a head start with a selection of go-to recipes on hand.
- Divide your leftovers into dark and white turkey portions before freezing so it will be easy to choose what works best in your recipes.
- Make sure you store your leftovers properly for best results. Shred your turkey or cut it up into slices or cubes and freeze in convenient one pound meal base portions that are ready to use right from the freezer.
- Store your turkey in air-tight, leak-proof containers or plastic bags. Wrap in plastic to avoid freezer burn and you’ll have ready portions on hand.
- Make sure you pack your leftovers within two hours after cooking to maintain the quality of the food.
- Save and freeze the turkey carcass and bones too. Use these to make a delicious turkey stock that can easily be frozen for use in soups, sauces, gravies and mashed potatoes.
- Freeze any leftover gravy in muffin tins or ice cube trays. Once frozen, store in a zip top bag or air tight container and use as needed.
Canadian Turkey has tons of ideas and recipes to help you make the most out of your leftovers, but one of my favourite things to make with leftover turkey is homemade soup.
Classic Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 cups Canadian turkey leftovers roughly chopped
- 8 cups turkey broth homemade or store bought
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup potatoes chopped
- 1 cup gluten-free egg noodles
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
For broth (optional)
- 1.5 lb turkey necks
- 2 onions roughly chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine turkey necks, water, onions and bay leaves. (If using store-bought broth, skip to step 3.)
- Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste and boil for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours. During cooking, skim any impurities from the surface. Strain.
- Combine broth and potatoes. Bring to a low simmer for 20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
- Add remaining vegetables, rosemary, and egg noodles.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until noodles are cooked through and vegetables are tender.
- Add turkey and remove rosemary.
- Remove 1 cup of soup and blend with a hand blender. Add back to soup to make it a little creamy.
- Serve.
Notes
Whether you’re feeding a large crowd or making an intimate dinner for two, there are so many different ways to prepare a turkey meal that suits your tastes. Since turkey adapts well to pretty much any flavour profile, experiment using your family’s favourite spice blends, sauces, or rubs.
Never roasted a whole turkey before? Don’t worry! Canadian Turkey has everything you need with info, helpful resources, and step-by-step videos all in one place with their Whole Bird How-Tos. Their simple to use Whole Bird Turkey Calculator will help you easily figure out what size bird you need, thawing time, and cooking time. You’ll be surprised how easy it can be to roast the perfect turkey for your next celebration meal!
Win a $75 The Bay/Home Outfitters Gift Card
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving and Canadian Turkey Month with a giveaway! One lucky reader will win a $75 Hudson’s Bay e-gift card redeemable at The Bay, Home Outfitters, or thebay.com. Enter to win in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, 18+. All entries will be verified.
Click here to check out my other open giveaways and be sure to like me on Facebook!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Canadian Turkey. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. Your experience may differ.
Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound
I learned about brining a whole turkey and that it’s not as hard as I thought!
I learned the safest way to thaw a whole frozen turkey is either in the refrigerator or in cold water.
I did not know you could also use cinnamon in a brine for a turkey. I also did not know you could get special bags large enough to put your turkey and brine in.
I read quite a bit about brining last week – I wanted to try it and I knew about the site so I went there first. I wanted to make sure I could do it but in the end I chickened out as I was afraid to try – brine equals salt in my head – but I still… want to try.
Mishelle
Defrosting a turkey is best done in the fridge.
Budget 1lb per person when purchasing. (That’s a lot!!)
Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound (10 hours/kg).
I learned when buying a turkey, calculate 1 lb (450 g) per person.
The best place to put the thermometer to measure the bird’s doneness is the inner thigh not touching the bone.
It can take up to 5-5 1/2 hours to roasta whole turkey
Spatchcocked refers to the removal of the backbone of a bird so that it can be flattened prior to grilling or roasting. Today, this is also called flattening or butterflying.
Although I have heard about brining before, I never knew the specifics… now I know the way it works, that you can buy bags and… that I want to try it!
I learned that the refrigerator method is the safest way to unthaw a turkey.
I learned that I should roast uncovered, or loosely covered with foil. To baste my turkey, i need to limit the number of times I open and close my oven.
Spatchcocking helps reduce cooking time. thanks
I learned that you should Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound
I learned that we need to allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound or 10 hours/kg.
I found lots of tip for brining a whole turkey. After the brining process, remove the turkey from brine rinse under a slow stream of cool water, rubbing gently to release salt, both inside and out.
Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound
I learned to not stuff a turkey which you are deep frying!
I learned to allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound when using the refrigerator method.
I learned that whole turkeys can be kept frozen for 1 year.
I learned to thaw my turkey in the refrigerator and to allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound.
I learned that a whole turkey can stay frozen in your freezer for a whole year and still be good!
I learned that it can take up to 5 to 5 1/2 hrs to roast a whole turkey
I learn how to Spatchcocking or Flattening a Whole Turkey!
Thawing your turkey in the refridgerator is the safest method of unthawing.
I learned that if you thaw with water you need to allow 1 hour of thawing time per pound (2 hours/kg)
Takes up to 5 hours to roast a 20-24 lb turkey!
I’ve learned about spatchcooking where the backbone is removed so the bird can be flattened. The turkey will cook faster as it’s closer to the heat and it cooks a lot more evenly.
I love learning how to spatchcock a turkey. We have flattened chicken before so this would be great to do.
The safest way to thaw is in the refrigerator, 5 hours per pound
Turkey is cooked when the meat thermometer reads 170°F (77°C) for an unstuffed turkey, or 180°F (82°C) for a stuffed turkey and the juices run clear. Insert meat thermometer in the thickest part of the inner thigh, but not touching the bone.
when flattening a turkey, break the breastbone so the bird lays flat
I know that I have looked this up multiple times but I was again reminded that you need to allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound (10 hours/kg)
Nope, we made a ham.
I learned that you should stuff the turkey, do so while the oven is preheating and cook it in the oven until the meat thermometer reaches 180 degrees!
I learned that you shouldn’t defrost a turkey at room temperature.
Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound
I learned that you can BBQ a whole turkey. I have never thought of doing that before although it makes sense.
I learnt to defrost a turkey in the fridge you need to allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound (10 hours/kg).
I learned to let the cooked turkey stand 20 minutes to allow the juices to set.
Allow 5 hours of thawing time per pound (10 hours/kg).
I learned that there are bags big enough to brine and entire turkey. I never brine mine because I don’t know what to use to completely cover it in the brine.
I learned about “SPATCHCOCKING” OR FLATTENING A WHOLE TURKEY (something I have never tried before).
Perfect timing to finding this post! I have leftovers from Thanks Giving in the fridge just wondering how long it stays safe to eat. I learned that Turkey is good for 3 days in fridge and 3 mths in freezer. Thank you!
I learned to budget about 1 lb. of turkey per dinner guest!
Allow 1 hour of thawing time per pound (2 hours/kg)… different than what I see from someone’s comment below?
Thaw in fridge