A quick and easy way to use up leftover turkey, whether you have a little bit or a lot. Turkey Fricassee is an incredible creamy sauce with a real depth of flavour and you can serve it on pasta, potatoes or just dip crusty bread into it. A fuss free leftover turkey recipe that is perfect for the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas.
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A traditional French fricassee is made with chicken pieces and cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce. This is our festive twist on a classic, and a great recipe using leftover turkey. Ready in under 20 minutes and so many different ways to serve it.
We have made our leftover turkey fricassee a little bit lighter by using creme fraiche instead of cream, and there are lot of options for adding vegetables too.
Looking for more leftover turkey recipes? Why not try our delicious Leftover Turkey Soup, 15 minute Leftover Turkey Curry or our comforting Leftover Turkey Pie?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Turkey - This is one of our favourite leftover turkey recipes. If you only have a little bit left then it boosts a creamy sauce. But if you have a lot leftover, then it's also a great way to use it. You can use leftover breast or legs - anything goes.
- Mushrooms - Mushrooms in a creamy sauce is a must in our house. We used chestnut mushrooms, but to give this leftover turkey fricassee more texture, use a variety of mushrooms like shiitake, oyster and baby portobello. They give the sauce a rich umami flavour.
- Butter - This is what everything is cooked in. You could use olive oil instead.
- Garlic - Save time by using frozen garlic.
- Shallots - You could use a small brown onion instead.
- Flour - Use plain flour (all purpose flour). This is what helps to thicken up the sauce.
- Stock - We used chicken stock to give it a really rich flavour. You could use vegetable stock if that's all you have.
- Herbs - A little bit of fresh thyme adds a lovely flavour. You could leave it out, but we always have lots of fresh herbs leftover at Christmas time.
- Creme fraiche - This is what gives the creamy sauce. We used reduced fat, but you could use full fat. You could also use cream instead.
- Sweetcorn - Throwing some sweetcorn in is an easy way to give it a veggie boost. You can use frozen sweetcorn and peas would work too.
- Salt and pepper - Generously season.
- Parmesan - Just to add to the creamy flavour, we added some grated Parmesan to the creamy fricassee sauce.
Turkey Fricassee Variations
Whilst this is a leftover turkey recipe, you could easily use leftover roast chicken instead. We also like adding leftovers of our Honey Roast Ham, as you only need a couple of slices diced and mixed in.
If you want to make the creamy sauce even richer, then you can add some white wine to it. Replace some of the stock with wine.
We only added sweetcorn (which you could swap for peas), but there are lots of options when it comes to vegetables. You could add some broccoli and cauliflower (cook it first and stir it in), or stir some spinach in just before serving.
How To Make Leftover Turkey Fricassee - Step by Step
- Step 1: Heat the butter in a large pan and add the shallots, mushrooms, garlic and thyme leaves. Cook over a medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the flour and stir it in.
- Step 3: Gradually pour in the stock, a little at a time, stirring each time. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Step 4: Add the creme fraiche, sweetcorn, Parmesan, turkey, salt and pepper.
- Step 5: Give it all a really god mix and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Step 6: Serve on top of pasta (or rice, mash, etc.) and garnish with chopped parsley (optional).
Serving Suggestions
This turkey fricassee is so versatile, as there are so many different ways that you can serve it. We would happily just dip some warm fresh crusty bread in it, but it's also delicious on a big pile of carbs.
You can serve it on pasta like we have, or on top of some creamy mashed potatoes. Have you tried our Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes? It's also really good served with Parmesan Roasted Potatoes or Microwave Rice.
If you want some greens on the side, then you can't go wrong with Garlic Spring Greens, Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli or Minted Peas.
Extra Tips
- A little bit of fresh lemon juice and zest really freshens up the dish. Add just before serving.
- Make sure to simmer the sauce gently, especially after the turkey has gone in, because you don't want the turkey to overcook and become dry.
- You can adjust the thickness of the sauce if needed. If it is too thick, then add some stock to thin it out. If you need to thicken it, then you can add a cornstarch slurry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Even though this uses leftover turkey, you can store and reheat again. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. We wouldn't recommend freezing it though. You can reheat it in the microwave or a frying pan until piping hot throughout.
More Turkey Recipes
If you've tried this turkey fricassee recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Leftover Turkey Fricassee
Ingredients
- 25 g (1.5 tablespoon) Butter
- 200 g (7 oz) Chestnut mushrooms - sliced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 2 Shallots - diced
- 1 tablespoon Plain flour
- 250 ml (1 cups) Chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme - leaves only
- 200 ml (0.75 cups) Reduced fat crème fraîche
- 100 g (0.66 cups) Sweetcorn
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 15 g (0.25 cups) Parmesan - grated
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Leftover turkey - chopped
- Fresh parsley - optional; to serve
Instructions
- Heat 25 g Butter in a large pan and add 2 Shallots, 200 g Chestnut mushrooms, 2 Garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme leaves. Cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon Plain flour and stir it in.
- Gradually pour in 250 ml Chicken stock, a little at a time, stirring each time. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Add 200 ml Reduced fat crème fraîche, 100 g Sweetcorn, 15 g Parmesan, 500 g Leftover turkey, 1 pinch Sea salt and 1 pinch Ground black pepper.
- Give it all a really god mix and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve on top of pasta (or rice, mash, etc.) and garnish with chopped parsley (optional).
Recipe Tips
- A little bit of fresh lemon juice and zest really freshens up the dish. Add just before serving.
- Make sure to simmer the sauce gently, especially after the turkey has gone in, because you don't want the turkey to overcook and become dry.
- You can adjust the thickness of the sauce if needed. If it is too thick, then add some stock to thin it out. If you need to thicken it, then you can add a cornstarch slurry.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
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