When it comes to Thanksgiving, leftover turkey is definitely a tasty blessing! That’s because there are so many ways to transform leftover turkey into easy healthy meals the whole family will love!

From soups and salads to casseroles and quiches – the ideas are endless! So if you’ve got heaping helpings of leftover turkey too … here are a few of my favorite ways to transform turkey into easy, healthy meals that my family (and yours) will happily gobble-up with a thankful heart! (P.S. These recipes are a great way to use leftover roasted chicken too!)

Sensational Soups

Creamy Turkey Soup

Roasted Turkey Chili

Quick Healthy Dinners

Easy Mexican-Style Casserole

Simple Turkey Pot Pie

Easy Lunches

Turkey, Apple & Cranberry Salad

Turkey BLT Salad

Turkey for Breakfast!

Turkey Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
(just replace the bacon/sausage with fine-diced leftover turkey)

Turkey, Bacon & Egg Biscuit Sandwich

What are your favorite ways to use leftover turkey? Please feel free to share your ideas and recipe links in the comments below!

Thanksgiving is a special celebration that most certainly deserves a special menu!

Yet, in the quest for serving up a memorable meal, often simple is best. And that’s what I love about the following recipes. Although they do take some time to make, each represents the simple, traditional flavors of Thanksgiving – nothing super fancy or difficult, just delicious and classic family-style dining at its best!

And whether you’re hosting a crowd or just your own immediate family, putting together a Thanksgiving Day Menu Game Plan is by far one of the best ways to reduce stress and to ensure the meal comes together deliciously and on time! To help demonstrate how easy and helpful planning and prepping ahead is, be sure to download my Thanksgiving Day Menu Game Plan based on the following Thanksgiving Day menu.

Simply Delicious Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu

Alton Brown’s Perfect Roast Turkey
I’ve made a lot of roast turkeys throughout the years, but this roast turkey recipe is by far my very favorite. The secret to this fantastically juicy and flavorful bird is the extra step of brining. By submerging the bird into a salty, seasoned bath, it becomes infused with an amazing combination of flavors and doesn’t loose its moisture during the roasting process. I also love Alton’s idea of creating a “turkey-triangle” to ensure the white meat says moist, view his quick video for details.

Recommended Real Food Variations: When making Alton’s recipe, I substitute the refined brown sugar called for in the recipe with either coconut sugar or maple syrup instead. I also use fresh peeled ginger rather than candied. In addition, I use a combination of butter and olive oil in place of canola oil for coating the bird.)

Healthier Homemade Stuffing
I may be a bit bias here, but this simple, yet savory GF herb stuffing is my family’s favorite complement to a perfectly roasted bird. (In fact, we like it so much, we enjoy it several times throughout the year and pair it with my slow cooker roast chicken or my quick-n-easy grilled herb turkey.)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Traditional Turkey Drippings Gravy
Creamy mashed potatoes covered in savory turkey gravy – yes, please! Frankly, Ina Garten’s creamy mashed potatoes recipe is one of my favorites. And when you top these delicious whipped potatoes with some good old fashioned turkey pan drippings gravy, you’ve got a marriage made in heaven!

Recommended Dairy-Free and GF Variations: If you’re dairy-free, when making the creamy mashed potatoes, I recommend substituting the milk with chicken stock and the buttermilk with unsweetened almond milk. You can also substitute the butter for ghee or Earth Balance spread. When making the gravy, if you’re gluten-free/grain-free, be sure to substitute the flour called for in the gravy recipe with 2-3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder instead.

Lemon-Garlic Green Beans
A simple, yet delicious side, lemon-garlic green beans have been a family tradition since I was a wee-one! Please note: When serving these aromatic green beans as part of a Thanksgiving meal, I reduce the garlic in my recipe to just one clove. That way, it doesn’t overpower the other savory flavors on the plate.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie! And guess what, I have a secret for you … You don’t have to put up with over-baked grain-free pie crusts to enjoy classic desserts like pumpkin pie! I’ve got a simple method for making perfectly scrumptious pumpkin pie with a light flaky grain-free crust. What’s the secret? Pop over to my Perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe to get the delicious details!

Pumpkin Praline Coffee Cake
Although we adore pumpkin pie, this incredibly moist and delicious Pumpkin Praline Coffee Cake is also a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving spread! A tasty autumn twist on coffee cake, this scrumptious grain-free, dairy-free treat is perfect for your favorite holiday gatherings.

Free Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Meal Plans
Just a friendly reminder, that I provide free monthly meal plans over at The Better Mom blog. Each week’s meal plan contains delicious family-friendly GF recipes utilizing a time-saving method to make getting a healthy dinner on the table a snap! I highly recommend you pop over to The Better Mom and download these free meal plans.

Happy Thanksgiving!
As we gather together with our families this holiday season, may our hearts be centered on bringing glory to the One from whom we’ve received abundant patience, mercy, grace and love!

Wishing you and your family a very blessed Thanksgiving, Kelly

P.S. Do you have a favorite holiday recipe or family tradition you’d like to share? I’d love for you to share a link in the comments below. It will be fun to see what everyone has planned for this special time of giving thanks and counting our many blessings!