This year, skip the traditional post-Thanksgiving turkey soup and instead use your leftovers for some tasty (though unconventional) lunch and dinner concoctions.

This year, skip the traditional post-Thanksgiving turkey soup and instead use your leftovers for some tasty (though perhaps unconventional) lunch and dinner concoctions.

Turkey Burritos
Swap out ground beef for shredded leftover turkey to create a leaner alternative to the original. Add cumin-spiced black beans, leftover cooked brown rice, fresh salsa, shredded low-fat cheese, and a dollop of Greek yogourt, and roll it all up in a whole wheat tortilla for a healthy lunch on the go.

Turkey Cottage Pie
Traditional cottage pie is similar to shepherd’s pie, only it uses any type of meat for the bottom layer. Making a cottage pie out of Thanksgiving leftovers is especially smart as nearly all leftovers can be utilized: the veggies, turkey, and gravy can be combined to create the bottom layer and leftover mashed potatoes (or yams) can be layered on top. Just sprinkle paprika on top and pop in the oven until warmed through and slightly brown and you’ve got yourself a healthy meal to feed the whole family.

Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Panini
For a sophisticated version of the predictable turkey sandwich, layer slices of leftover turkey breast on two pieces of sourdough bread and top with a few thin slices of quality brie cheese and leftover cranberry sauce. Once sandwich is assembled, lightly butter each side and place on a heated grill pan (or cast iron pan if grill pan is not available) until both sides are browned and cheese is melted.

Turkey Chili
This one-pot dinner offers the soul-warming comfort of turkey soup, but with a twist. Make your favourite chili as you normally would, but leave out any meat you’d typically use and instead throw in leftover shredded turkey. Don’t have a favourite chili recipe? Try our superfood-infused Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili or our camping-friendly Crunchy Bean Chili.

What do you do with your leftover turkey?