Turkey sandwiches are great, but they can get tiresome. Jazz up your post-Thanksgiving leftover turkey menu with some new dairy-free ideas. We do have a round-up of dairy-free recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers, too. But these are additional fast and easy ideas that you can make on the fly, with whatever you have on hand. Because I know many of you, like me, have a lot of leftover turkey that should not go to waste!
5 Cheap, Easy, Dairy-Free Ideas to Use Up Leftover Turkey
Unlike plain sandwiches, these ideas also work great with frozen leftover turkey. So you can freeze it to maintain freshness, and pop some out to make any of these dishes whenever you need something quick and delicious.
Creamy Turkey Pasta
How to: Melt 2 tablespoons dairy-free buttery spread in a pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until smooth and golden. Whisk in 1/2 cup chicken broth until smooth. Whisk in another 1 1/2 cups chicken broth until combined. Optionally add a few shakes of powdered onion or garlic. Add chopped turkey, and bring to a boil while whisking. Add peas or other vegetables, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Taste, and season with salt, if needed. Serve over cooked pasta.
Asian Turkey Soup
How to: If you have any leftover scallions, leeks, mushrooms, or onions, sauté them in a tablespoon of oil until soft. If not, you can skip them. Prepare rice noodles. Add chicken broth or any leftover stock to a pot. Add any leftover holiday vegetables, like carrots and peas, and leftover turkey. Heat to you desired temperature. Add soy sauce or gluten-free tamari to taste. Add in softened rice noodles. Serve drizzled with sesame oil and/or chopped cilantro, if desired.
Mini Turkey Pot Pies
How to: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix leftover vegetables (potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans, etc), chopped turkey, and some leftover dairy-free gravy (enough to coat and make gravy-like, but not soupy). If you don’t have leftover vegetables, you can use frozen vegetables. Spoon the mixture into small ramekins. Top each one with leftover rolled out dairy-free pie crust, cut puff pastry, or crescent rolls. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is cooked and golden.
Freezer option: Grease regular or large muffin tins. Press pie crust, puff pastry, or crescent rolls into muffin tin and up the sides to make a crust. Fill, then top with pie crust, puff pastry, or crescent rolls. Pinch to seal the bottom and top crusts together. Bake as directed above. These can be frozen and reheated.
Turkey Paninis
How to: Pick your favorite combination of ingredients, and layer them between two slices of dairy-free bread (see combination suggestions below). Optionally butter the outsides of the bread with a tablespoon of dairy-free buttery spread. Heat your panini press or a pan to medium, and lightly grease if not using buttery spread on the bread. Place your sandwich in the panini press and close the lid. Or place your sandwich in your pan, and use a clean pot lid or smaller pan to press down on the sandwich as it cooks; flip the sandwich so it browns evenly.
Suggested Panini Combos:
- Mustard or mayonnaise, dairy-free cheese shreds or slices, turkey, spinach, red onions
- Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy
- Dairy-free, cream cheese alternative, turkey, sprouts, cranberry sauce
- Mayonnaise, turkey, bacon, avocado
Turkey Enchiladas
How to: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Fill small tortillas (we prefer flour for enchiladas) on one side with turkey and desired fillings (see suggested combos below). Roll up and place seam-side down in a baking dish. Top with leftover gravy or enchilada sauce (whichever goes with your fillings. Bake the enchiladas for about 20 minutes, or until the tortillas are soft.
Suggested Enchilada Combos:
- Dairy-free sour cream (we use this one), turkey, avocado or guacamole, green chiles, and topped with enchilada sauce
- Mashed potatoes, turkey, mashed potatoes, leftover vegetables, and topped with gravy
- Guacamole, turkey, leftover roasted sweet potatoes, green chiles, and topped with enchilada sauce
More Dairy-Free Recipes or Thanksgiving Leftovers
Click the link below for our big round-up of recipes to enjoy after a big feast! We update it with new options each year, and it includes both allergy-friendly and vegan options.
