Leftover Turkey Stew with Butternut Squash

This hearty and flavorful Leftover Turkey Stew with Butternut Squash recipe is a great way to use turkey remaining after a holiday feast!

This recipe was originally published in November, 2014, then updated November 2019.

Inspiration for Leftover Turkey Stew

I don’t host for Thanksgiving, so don’t have quite as many leftovers to contend with as you might. But I usually leave my folks armed with a couple of pretty well-packed containers of turkey and sides, so I do have some experience. I got in the Thanksgiving spirit earlier this month and roasted a turkey. That gave me turkey bones as well as meat to work with, so making a stew was a must! The result was this tasty Leftover Turkey and Butternut Squash Stew, perfect for sharing for the #SundaySupper focused on Thanksgiving leftovers.

Potatoes might be more common in a stew of this sort, but I had a lot of squash on hand from our fall farmshare. So I put a whole butternut squash to work in this stew with tasty results! If you had some leftover pureed squash from the Thanksgiving table, you could add that into the stew, and then add a couple of chopped potatoes for texture. This recipe is flexible–experiment with what you have on hand!

Tips for making Turkey Stew with Butternut Squash

Here are a few tips for making our leftover turkey stew; see the recipe card below for the full details.

• Homemade stock definitely enhances the flavor of the stew. I cover how to make your own in the next section.
• The recipe I give uses vegetables such as squash and carrots that cook during the stew making process. This turkey stew is also a great way to use cooked leftover vegetables. Add those in with about 10 minutes left in the cooking time.
• Once you have stock or store bought broth ready to go, the stew can be ready after about 40 minutes cooking time. But if you have time to let the stew simmer for a good hour, that will enhance the flavors.

Making your own stock for Leftover Turkey Stew

If you left someone else’s house with turkey meat, you can make the stew with some store-bought stock–skip on down to the stew recipe below! But homemade stock adds so much flavor! I describe the process for making stock with leftover chicken here, and the process is pretty similar with turkey. Here are some tips for making your own turkey stock from leftover turkey carcass and meat in a slow cooker.

• A slow cooker makes the stock making process easy.
• If you have not already done so, start by removing most of the good turkey meat that is still on the bones. Put that turkey in a container and refrigerate until you are ready to add it to the stew.
• Next break up the turkey carcass so that it can fit into the slow cooker. Add the turkey legs, wings and other bones. It’s fine if there are still bits of meat and skin on the bones.
• I followed this recipe for the original turkey dinner that provided the leftovers for this stew. I included some roasted carrots and parsnips in the roasting pan. If you also had roasted veggies along with the turkey, go ahead and add any leftovers to the crockpot.
• Cover the turkey bones with water, and set the crockpot on low for at least 12 hours. If you get the stock going the evening after your turkey dinner, you can have it going in the slow cooker a full 24 hours, finishing the process the next evening. Enjoy the great smells in your house as the turkey stock simmers!

• Finish the stock by dumping the crockpot contents through a strainer into a large pan. Pick through the turkey bones to get more meat that can be added to the stew. This can often be quite a bit, as meat hidden by skin and various bone crevices gets loosened up while the stock simmers.

More favorite leftover turkey recipes

After the recipe, there are links to some great leftover turkey recipe ideas from others in the Sunday Supper blogger group, and I also have rounded up 19 Tasty Leftover Turkey Recipes. But if you want a few quick ideas, here are a few of my favorite leftover turkey recipes:

• Leftover Turkey Pasta with Mushrooms
• Leftover Turkey Potpie (from Sugar Spun Run)
• Orzo with Leftover Turkey and Sweet Potatoes

Wine Pairing for Turkey and Butternut Squash Stew

I’m inclined to go with Pinot Noir for turkey, and the butternut squash seals the deal! I recently had a great Pinot, paired with a fettuccine dish. I’m sure the 2016 Harper Voit Strandline Pinot Noir ($41, 14.3% ABV) I’m referencing would be great with our turkey stew, too. This Willamette Valley Pinot has raspberry fruit with notes of chocolate, and layers of delicious flavor.

You might well be looking to spend a good bit less on wine to go with leftover turkey! Hahn Family Wines is a reliable source of good value California Pinot I often grab for under $20 per bottle.

I originally shared this 10 Pinot Noir Picks for Thanksgiving as a resource to pick a Pinot to go with this turkey stew. The bottles suggested there are generally from good Pinot producers, and choosing a bottle of one of those winery’s current releases would likely serve you quite well.

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Breakfast:

Cranberry Sauce Muffins by The Foodie Army Wife
Leftover Stuffing Breakfast Strata by Ruffles & Truffles
Sweet Potato Casserole Muffins by Magnolia Days
Turkey & Chorizo Breakfast Hash by Brunch with Joy
Italian Mashed Potato Pancakes by The Weekend Gourmet
Cranberry Sauce’d Corn Bread Muffins by Rhubarb and Honey

Main Dish:

Leftover Pie by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Thanksgiving Leftover Waffles by Foxes Love Lemons
Stuffing Hash by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Turkey Pizza by Meal Diva
Turkey & Caramelized Onion Risotto by kimchi MOM
Turkey with Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce by Casa de Crews
Moroccan Turkey Stew by What Smells So Good?
Peruvian Cilantro & Turkey Soup by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Turkey & Butternut Squash Stew by Cooking Chat
Turkey Kreplach Soup by Panning the Globe
Turkey & Stuffing Crepes by Peaceful Cooking
Cranberry Apple Pecan Chicken Salad by NeighborFood
Herbed Turkey over Cornbread Waffles with Cranberry Sauce by girlichef
Creamy Peanut Gochujang Pasta by Wallflour Girl
Cranberry Sweet Potato Soup by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Turkey Enchilada Pasta Bake by Curious Cuisiniere
Turkey Orzo Risotto by Family Foodie
Turkey Croquettes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Side Dishes:

Cheesy Mashed Potato Croquettes by Noshing with the Nolands
Whipped Carrots with Sriracha Butter by Healthy Delicious
Cranberry-Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower Wings by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes by Momma’s Meals
Cheesy Jalapeño Potato Cakes by Bobbi’s Cozy Kitchen

Sandwiches:

Cranberry & Turkey Sandwich by The Redhead Baker
Monte Cristo Sandwich by Nik Snacks
Hot Brown Turkey Sandwiches by The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Sprouted Grain Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Panini by Amee’s Savory Dish
Turkey Cranberry Flatbread by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Condiments & Sauces:

Cranberry Vinaigrette by Nosh My Way
Leftover White Wine Syrup by Food Lust People Love
DIY Yellow Mustard by The Texan New Yorker

Dessert:

Banana Cheesecake with Pecan Graham Cracker Crust by Desserts Required
Cranberry Cream Cheese Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Spiced Cranberry Sauce Buckle by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Cocktails & Drinks:

Cranberry Orange Crush by The Messy Baker
Cranberry Bellini by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

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