Empanadas ~ Turkey Leftover Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to do with over cooked turkey? ›

Place your carved meat in a shallow baking dish and cover it with stock. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in low oven, somewhere around 250 degrees, for 5-10 minutes. The dryness won't be entirely gone after this short broth bath, but the turkey will definitely be more moist than before.

The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within 2-6 months.

If you have some leftover legs, wings or thighs that you want to freeze on the bone, just make sure to wrap them very well in plastic wrap. Then slide them into a freezer-proof zip-top bag, press out any excess air, label the bag and freeze. I prefer bags for this as it's easier to press out extra air.

Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of stock and/or butter. Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave the sliced turkey (cover with a damp paper towel) in a microwave-safe dish at 50% power in 1-minute intervals.

Though it's especially obvious in leftover fish and poultry, discerning connoisseurs can pick out the WOF bouquet in most reheated meats. These flavors are the result of a series of chemical reactions that begins with the deterioration of specific kinds of fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs.

Simply heat your oven to 300 degrees, put the carved meat in a baking dish, and add some chicken broth or turkey stock to the pan. The meat will absorb some of the liquid as it heats, making it nice and juicy. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in the oven until the meat is hot, 20 to 30 minutes.

Collagen in the bird (one of three protein fibers that attaches muscles to the bone) breaks down into softer gelatin molecules as it unwinds. If a turkey is cooked too long, the muscle proteins coagulate within the meat and cause dryness.

Transfer the turkey and mashed potatoes into oven-safe dishes, add a little stock to the turkey and butter to the potatoes, and cover both dishes. Reheat them together for about 30 minutes at 350°F. You're winning the leftover dinner game right now.

A whole turkey can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months. Turkey pieces are best consumed within nine months.

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

Can I freeze cooked turkey after 3 days? ›

However, leftover turkey can be frozen after 3 days, and it will be fine. If your turkey has been in the fridge for up to 3 days, you are still good to freeze it. Just make sure to store it in a well-sealed container so it doesn't dry out.

As a result, many unwanted fresh Thanksgiving turkeys are sent straight to the butcher so that consumers can purchase smaller, more affordable portions of the meat. Some grocery stores also opt to cook a portion of their leftover Thanksgiving meats to be sold at their delis.

Yes, when cooked and prepared properly—and given in very small portions—turkey can be a healthy, occasional treat for dogs. Make sure it is fully cooked; has no skin, bones, or fat; and is not cooked with any other ingredients or seasonings. Here are some nutrients found in turkey: Vitamin B6.

Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed. Do not refreeze. Check your owner's manual for the size turkey that will fit in your microwave oven, the minutes per pound and power level to use for thawing.

Use Turkey Stock

If your turkey is too dry, heat the broth in a wide, shallow pan and add the turkey slices to rehydrate them. Alternatively, you can use the oven: put the turkey in an oven-proof pan, pour the stock overtop, cover the pan, and reheat on low, around 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), for about 20 minutes.

To reheat, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Keeping the turkey in the roasting pan, pour a bit of stock (chicken, turkey, or veggie stock or broth will work) over the meat to moisten it. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the turkey is warmed through.

Your Turkey Is Done Too Early

If it's done around an hour early, let it rest uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then cover your turkey with some foil and a thick towel or blanket to keep it warm. By letting it first rest you release the initial heat. That way it won't overcook once it's covered.

To not dry out a turkey, you need to add moisture when you reheat the meat. You'll see in our reheating methods that we add homemade gravy, chicken stock or butter to the turkey before heating it up low and slow. This ensures that juices in the turkey won't escape as steam when they're exposed to heat.