Recipe: Tips for Freezing Cooked Turkey and Recipes Using Cooked Turkey

Hi Bev!

Thank you for this question because I think many of us have a 'Thanksgiving stash' of turkey in our freezer that it's about time to use.

Tips for Storing Turkey Leftovers from the National Turkey Federation:

How should turkey leftovers be stored and how long will they keep?
Leftovers should be stored in shallow containers and refrigerated or frozen within two hours of cooking. Remove the stuffing and carve the extra turkey meat from the bones. Use cooked turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days and gravy in 1-2 days. Cooked turkey keeps for 3-4 months in the freezer. When using leftovers, reheat the foods thoroughly to 165 degrees F or until hot and steaming; bring gravy to a boil before serving.

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All Recipes Using Cooked Turkey

Recipes Using Cooked Turkey Posted as Recipe(tried)

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Recipes Using Cooked Chicken Posted as Recipe(tried)

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Bev, this is info you probably already know, but for anyone interested here is how I like to portion turkey for freezing (you can freeze whole "sections" of the cooked turkey, but it's easier to defrost and use if you slice and/or cut it up before freezing.):

- Freeze cooked turkey in slices wrapped into portion-sized packets. The packets can be placed in a larger plastic bag for easier storage.

- Cooked turkey cut into cubes and frozen in 1-cup portion-size baggies are handy to toss into casseroles, soups and salads. If you freeze the turkey cubes on a baking sheet and put them in one large plastic bag or freezer container, they should stay loose enough so you can take out just the amount you need.

- Roasted turkey parts (legs, thighs, wings) can be frozen whole and reheated in a crock pot or in a covered pot on the stovetop or in the oven in BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, a little broth, etc. or they can be used to make soup.

- If you have room in your freezer, the turkey carcass can be broken up and frozen and used when you have time to make soup or stock with it.

We'd love to hear any other tips or recipes anyone has to share for using and freezing turkey.