This healthy Ground Turkey Pasta recipe with broccoli is a super-easy, family-pleasing dinner ready in less than 30 minutes. Its so hearty and flavorful!
If youre looking for quick and easy lean ground turkey recipes, look no further, because this recipe is the perfect meal for busy weeknights.
This is an entree that is a guaranteed family-pleaser in my house! My Ground Turkey Pasta Broccoli Dinner is ready in 30 minutes or less, AND its a complete dinner all in one dish. Absolutely my kind of easy recipe!
You dont need to add anything, but to make it go farther, you could round it out with a simple salad, and you have everything you need for a great meal. Even my pickiest eater loves this dish![feast_advanced_jump_to]
As a busy home cook I’m always looking for ways to make the most of ingredients and get multiple meals from one cooking session. Ground turkey is one of my go-to proteins because it’s so versatile. I’ll often cook up a big batch to use in different recipes throughout the week. The great thing about ground turkey is that it can be incorporated into all kinds of cuisines and dishes. If you find yourself with leftover cooked ground turkey, don’t worry – there are plenty of tasty ways to use it up!
In my house ground turkey usually goes into meals like tacos, chili meatballs, burgers, and casseroles. But after making the same rotations week after week, I realized I needed to get more creative with my leftovers. That’s when I started experimenting with new ways to transform ground turkey into quick, easy and delicious meals for my family.
Here are 17 of my favorite recipes for using up leftover ground turkey
1. Turkey Veggie Soup
Soups are a great way to use up leftovers since you can throw in whatever veggies you have on hand. Sauté some onions and garlic, then simmer the ground turkey with chicken or vegetable broth, tomatoes, carrots, celery, spinach and seasonings. Serve with crusty bread for a comforting meal.
2. Turkey and Black Bean Quesadillas
Mix together the turkey, black beans, salsa, corn and taco seasoning and spoon onto a tortilla with shredded cheese. Fold in half and cook until the cheese melts. Serve with guacamole, more salsa and sour cream for a tasty Mexican-inspired dinner.
3. Turkey Hash
Fry up some potatoes and veggies like bell peppers, onions and spinach. Then stir in the leftover ground turkey and season with garlic, cumin and hot sauce. Crack some eggs on top and continue cooking until the eggs are done. It’s a hearty, protein-packed breakfast.
4. Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Shredded lettuce makes the perfect low-carb vehicle for leftover ground turkey. Sauté turkey with hoisin sauce, water chestnuts, carrots and Asian spices. Spoon into lettuce leaves and top with peanuts and green onions for a fresh take on lettuce wraps.
5. Turkey Casserole
Make an easy baked casserole by mixing cooked turkey with rice or pasta, veggies, condensed soup and shredded cheese. Top with breadcrumbs or crushed chips and bake until hot and bubbly for an easy one-dish meal.
6. Turkey Cabbage Rolls
Stir the ground turkey with rice, onions, herbs and seasonings. Roll up spoonfuls in steamed cabbage leaves and simmer in a tomato sauce until tender. It gives cabbage rolls a protein punch.
7. Thai Turkey Lettuce Cups
Stir-fry turkey with Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, basil, cilantro, lime juice and peppers for an explosion of flavors. Serve in a lettuce cup garnished with peanuts and green onion. It’s Thai takeout at home.
8. Turkey Meatballs
Mix leftover turkey with breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan and herbs then shape into balls and bake or simmer in your favorite sauce. Turkey meatballs make amazing appetizers, sandwiches or additions to pasta.
9. Turkey Barley Soup
Simmer turkey with vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, celery and greens in broth seasoned with thyme. Top bowls with cooked barley for the perfect winter soup.
10. Turkey Tacos
Shred or crumble leftover turkey and toss with taco seasoning. Pile it into tortillas or taco shells and top with all the fixings like lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa and avocado. Easy turkey tacos, perfect for Taco Tuesday.
11. Turkey Stir Fry
Heat oil in a pan or wok then sauté turkey and veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, onions and baby corn. Toss everything with soy sauce, spices and toasted sesame oil for a fast protein-packed stir fry.
12. Turkey Salad Sandwiches
Chop or shred cooked turkey and mix with mayo, mustard, celery, grapes, walnuts and dash of lemon juice. Stuff between slices of bread for classic turkey salad sandwiches, perfect for picnic lunches.
13. Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
Layer turkey with veggies like peas and carrots in a baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes and bake until hot and bubbly for a comforting turkey shepherd’s pie that’s perfect for chilly nights.
14. Turkey Noodle Soup
Simmer ground turkey in broth with veggies like celery, carrots, onion and spinach. Add egg noodles towards the end until just cooked through. Garnish bowls with parsley for a soothing, nostalgic soup.
15. Turkey Sliders
Shape leftover ground turkey into mini patties then top with cheese, lettuce, tomato and condiments to make easy appetizer sliders for your next party.
16. Turkey Fried Rice
Stir-fry cooled rice with turkey, soy sauce, frozen peas and carrots, mushrooms, eggs and sesame oil for a fast weeknight one-pot meal. Fried rice is a great way to clean out the fridge.
17. Turkey Skillet Pie
Sauté ground turkey with veggies then spoon into a skillet. Top with mashed potatoes and cheese and bake until bubbly for an easy skillet pie. Comfort food at its finest!
The possibilities are endless when it comes to using up leftover ground turkey. With a little creativity, you can give boring old ground turkey new life in casseroles, soups, sandwiches, tacos and more. Next time you have extra cooked turkey on hand, try whipping up one of these recipes for an easy, delicious meal. Your family will be asking for leftovers!
Storage and Reheating
Place leftovers in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in a sturdy freezer safe container. The best way is to use a glass container that can go from freezer to fridge to oven. That way you dont need to thaw before reheating
To reheat, make sure you remove any plastic wrap or non-oven safe lids. Bake at 375 degrees F until hot, about 40 minutes for refrigerated leftovers or about an hour for frozen.
Suggested Side Dishes
This entree doesnt really need a side dish, but if you would like to have something else on the table, a steamed green veggie, or a side salad, or even these Pretzel Bites with Olives and Parmesan are great choices!
If you have a little bit of extra time, these Crispy Breaded Green Beans are always one of our favorite recipes for side dishes!
If you are a fan of ground turkey and pasta, you might also like this One-Pot Turkey Taco Pasta , or this Quick Turkey Spaghetti. Or, this Ground Turkey Alfredo Casserole is a perfect, easy weeknight meal the whole family will love!
Or, use the ground turkey to make these delicious turkey smash burgers!
For a vegetarian one-pot pasta dish, try this Easy One Skillet Cheese Tortellini Recipe, which is a meal my whole family loves!
Another easy ground turkey recipe is my Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs recipe. I love these as a healthier option to beef-based meatballs. There are oven directions too, so check it out even if you dont have an air fryer!
For a rather unique yet totally tasty pasta option, try my Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta dish. Its really easy to make, too!