What to Do with a Whole Turkey: 4 Delicious Meals from One Bird

Maybe you celebrate Thanksgiving and other holidays at your parent’s or in-laws’ house, where the turkey is prepared and carved by someone else. Although it would be far too much meat for your small family, perhaps you would also like to cook a whole turkey at home (and have a few leftovers to play with).

Here’s my suggested course of action: buy a fresh turkey and use it in four or five different recipes. Turkey is a tasty, lean meat that should be enjoyed throughout its season if it is properly sourced from a reputable butcher (and not spiked with weird chemicals and salty brine).

This month, we’re discussing turkey and holiday meals for our Eat Well, Spend Less series. One way to get the most value for your money is to follow my recipe, which calls for serving one turkey for four or more meals. Although purchasing fresh turkey is expensive, you can eat frugally this holiday season by adhering to two smart shopping tips: purchasing in season and in bulk (a whole bird in this case), as well as making the most of every leftover piece of food.

Presuming you have a fresh, whole turkey, the first thing to do is partially disassemble it into different parts. This is because you don’t want to roast the entire bird and then gradually consume it over the course of a week as it dries out more and more. No way.

You’ll cook the breast first, for your ‘fancy’ meal if you like, and freeze the legs for later. From the breast, you’ll also enjoy panini with the leftovers. The scraps will go into a stock, which you’ll later use for a simple turkey noodle soup. Sound good? Let’s do the prep in 3 steps.

TIP: You can ask your butcher to debone the turkey for you, which entails most of steps 1 and 2, if he’s exceptionally good at it—which he should be!

Step 1: Cut off the neck, the tips of the wings (at the first joint), and what my Dad called the “Pope’s nose” (pardon, his sarcastic term for the spot where the tail used to be). Reach inside the bird and remove the organs from the cavity. Go ahead and get your turkey stock going with all of these scraps.

Step 2: On a sturdy cutting board, and with a sharp knife, remove the legs from the turkey. This is exactly the same way as you would remove legs from a whole chicken.

Step 3: Wrap the turkey legs well in plastic wrap and freeze for another meal. Strain that stock, and you’re ready to proceed with any of the four recipes below.

Eat Well, Spend Less: One Turkey, Four Meals

I made this recipe from Shania over at Food for My Family and it did not disappoint. Simple and sensational, it made the perfect amount of roast turkey for about 6 people with leftovers for panini.

I adore cooking with fresh herbs, especially when they’re combined with poultry, so I was thrilled to see that Shaina infused her turkey with sage and thyme. The exterior breadcrumbs crisped up beautifully, giving the usually boring turkey breast some nice texture.

Get the recipe: Mustard-Crusted Turkey Breast

When cooking your turkey legs, why not try this recipe for Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables? It’s a simple one-pot meal that can be prepared quickly.

If you’ve frozen your turkey legs, be sure to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. Pat them dry with a paper towel and they are ready for roasting.

Get the recipe: Roasted Turkey Legs with Winter Root Vegetables

Alternatively, place all the ingredients for the above recipe in your crock-pot, cover with water and a quart of chicken stock (adding a splash of white wine as well), and cook for about eight hours to create a hearty stew consisting of turkey and vegetables.

Photo by Tim Chin

This popular sandwich uses the leftover sliced turkey from the mustard-crusted turkey breast. You can also use any roast turkey (or chicken) you have on hand. I recently made these hot sandwiches for a casual bistro-style lunch and served them with French Onion Soup. It made a perfect autumnal meal.

Recipe: Turkey, Arugula & Havarti Panini

You don’t really need me to tell you how to make a panini, but I’ll give my tips.

• Start with the best bread you can source. I use a long ciabatta loaf or two.
• Thinly slice the turkey and arrange it between the best cheese that you have available. We love Havarti, Monterey Jack and Provolone for panini.
• Don’t butter the bread if you’re using a rich, buttery cheese like Havarti; otherwise, your panini will be overly greasy.
• Let the paninis (I use a Breville Smart Grill) cook slowly. Mine take about ten minutes, so they are heated through to the center.
• Add some fresh spinach or arugula to your meat and cheese panini to make it more flavorful.
• Accompany with pickled red onions and cranberry sauce on the side.

We recently overcame a severe case of head colds, and this soup continually gave us nourishment. Having several liters of turkey stock in my freezer made me feel extremely thankful, as it makes the soup come together quickly, even when you’re feeling under the weather.

There’s really no better way to use up my leftover turkey, so I hope you’ll give it a try. Use whatever noodles you have around to round out the soup. Last week, we topped our bowls with the soup and added chopped spaghetti, whole wheat macaroni, and broken lasagna shards.

I apologize for not posting a picture, but I was more focused on taking care of my ill body (this pregnant woman doesn’t need cold medicine) than I was on taking pictures of my bowl!

F*ck The Whole Bird, I Cook My Turkey Like This Now