5 Leftover Turkey Recipes That Can Be Tried After Thanksgiving

Cooking a whole turkey on Thanksgiving is something that many people do. Not only is it a safe option if you have a large guest list, but it also means that you can make sure that everyone’s plates stay full as will their bellies. Cooked turkey tastes great, even after it has stayed in the fridge for a few days. It can even stay up to 2 months in the freezer. When it comes to Thanksgiving turkey, there’s often some that are leftover.

Thanksgiving turkey dinner

While eating plain old turkey on Thanksgiving day is standard, eating it for a few days afterward can get boring. You can make things interesting by repurposing your cooked turkey and incorporating it into other recipes that make you pique your interest more. Whether you’re stuffing a sandwich or adding it to a delicious pasta recipe, turkey can be the star in many ways. Here are five different recipes you can try after Thanksgiving with your leftovers.

French Toast Turkey Sandwich

French Toast Turkey Sandwich French toast screams breakfast, but when you incorporate it into a turkey sandwich, you get the perfect brunch meal. Adding bacon and custardy bread to your Thanksgiving leftover sandwich can be just what you need.

Turkey and Mushroom Risotto

Turkey and Mushroom Risotto Mushroom risotto is good on its own, but what makes it even better is adding shreds of turkey.

Turkey French Dip

Turkey French Dip The French dip sandwich is a classic. Using the turkey’s carcass to make the poultry stock, along with other spices, a bit of sugar, and some fish sauce can leave you with a lip-smacking dip that will complete the sandwich.

Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey Pot Pie Who doesn’t love a good pot pie? Use your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving to make the perfect flaky-crust pot pie.

Cornmeal Bao With Turkey and Black Pepper Sauce

Cornmeal Bao With Turkey and Black Pepper Sauce Bao is all the rage these days as these pillowy steamed buns can be filled with anything. Add in the turkey, along with your favorite toppings, some black pepper sauce, and your tastebuds will be pleased.

How Did the Hamburger Get Its Name If There’s No Ham in it?

The hamburger is one of the most popular dishes around the world, but have you ever stopped to think about its name? It’s called the hamburger, but there isn’t any ham in it. So if there is no ham in it, why does it have that name?

Beginning In Ancient Rome

Like so many other inventions, the history of the hamburger can be traced back to the Roman Empire. Romans are understood to have combined ground beef with pepper, nuts, and wine flavorings around the 1st CE century. That was the beginning of the burger, but it would be years before it would look like we know it today.

Throughout The Years

Historians have found further links to burgers from 13th-century Mongols. Horsemen would ride around with raw meat under their saddles, compressing it so it was safe to eat without cooking. Then, in the 18th century, an English cookbook included a recipe for a smoked sausage made of minced beef, which became known as the ‘Hamburg’ sausage.

Hamburger Steak

The evolution of the hamburger was almost complete in the 19th century when the ‘Hamburg steak’ became a popular dish. It consisted of a slab of minced and salted beef that was mixed with breadcrumbs and onions.

That Hamburg steak was brought to the United States by German settlers, and it evolved into the dish we all know and love. Louis Lassen has been credited by Congress as serving the first American hamburger in 1900. He was reported to be the first to combine the hamburger steak with bread, which then exploded in popularity at the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis.

It turns out it’s less about ingredients and more about location for the hamburger. Thankfully, that delicacy from many years ago was brought to the masses, and we can all experience the joy of tucking into a delicious burger practically anywhere in the world.