If you want a tasty way of using up some of your leftover Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey then this turkey ragu is perfect. Serve it with pasta, potatoes or rice and you can even freeze it for when you want an easy meal next month!
This turkey ragu is just slightly adapted from Jamie Oliver's Winter Ragu. I made it with turkey but you could use any leftover Christmas meat and even a mixture of meats. Unlike Jamie, I opted for dried herbs but of course you could use fresh ones. I also increased the quantities of the vegetables. They were finely diced so just cooked down into the sauce.
A great way to use up leftover turkey
This turkey ragu recipe made enough to serve 6. We ate it as soon as it was made, then again the next day and there's some in the freezer! If I was making it after Christmas I might make double the quantities depending on how much turkey we had left. I hate throwing food away and always find it difficult to get through the whole bird, even if we eat turkey for the next few days!
Of course, if you celebrate Thanksgiving then this turkey ragu would also be a great recipe to make with those turkey leftovers!
As much as we look forward to eating the turkey on Christmas Day, I find that there's only so much turkey everyone wants to eat. Then I'm stuck between not wanting to waste food and wanting to serve food that makes everyone happy.
I know there are lots of ways of using up a turkey but I find giving everyone a break and then getting the turkey meals out again later actually means we enjoy them more.
How else can you serve this turkey ragu?
If you do like Jamie Oliver and want to get his Christmas Cookbook
then this turkey ragu is also the perfect filling for his cannelloni, lasagna and baked buns! I would just love this turkey ragu inside a baked bun. It would be like a mini calzone pizza, just in a bun shape. Who wouldn't want one of those?
More of Jamie Oliver's Christmas Recipes
I borrowed Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook from the library as soon as it came out. As well as this recipe I've also made Jamie's apple carpaccio.
I was extremely tempted by the jerk ham, which would be perfect if you've got guests staying and want something that could easily feed a crowd. Jamie also has leftover recipes you can make with that too! I also loved the fresh vibrant looking salads and the homemade Christmas gifts.
I've never made homemade gifts for Christmas but love the idea of it. I so wish I was super organised and made homemade pickles or sweet treats such as rocky road and honeycomb.
In reality I'm just rushing around crazily trying to get everything done by Christmas, but I dream of being a super organised domestic Christmas goddess! Maybe one day...
For now I'll just leave you with the recipe for this super easy turkey ragu. I do hope it manages to make life a little easier for you after the big day.
Leftover Turkey Ragu
Ingredients
- 1 red onion diced
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 2 sticks of celery finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 200 ml red wine
- 800 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 bay leaf
- 400 g leftover cooked turkey diced
Instructions
- Put a little oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, celery and carrot gently until softened. Stir in the garlic and rosemary. Cook for another minute and then pour in the wine.
- Bring it up to the boil and let it cook for a few minutes and then add the tomatoes. Half fill each empty tin with water and swirl it around before pouring into the pan as well.
- Add the turkey and bay leaf and bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 90 minutes.
- Serve with pasta, rice or potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes for Christmas or Thanksgiving Leftovers
I love to make soup with leftovers if I've got enough leftover roasted vegetables then I love this leftover roast vegetable soup.
Pin for later
Places I'm sharing this turkey ragu
Cook Once Eat Twice, as it is perfect for more than one meal.
Cook Blog Share, hosted this week by Hijacked by Twins.
lk529
Pasta is always a good way to use leftover turkey/chicken!
Corina
It certainly is!
eliotthecat
Plus this is a healthy recipe to start the New Year with!
Corina
Indeed it is!
sallybr
I say it's worth cooking up a whole turkey just for this! What a luscious ragu!
Corina
I have to agree! So pleased you like it.
Wendy Klik
Well, YUM....always looking for ways to repurpose leftovers. Thanks
Corina
Thanks Wendy - I agree you can never have more than enough ideas!
Sid
Thanks for sharing this. I'm afraid I'm rather pedestrian when it comes to using leftover turkey. I freeze the remainder and then a couple weeks later we have hot turkey sandwiches or Clubhouse sandwiches or Turkey Pot Pie, which is the same old, same old. I'm going to try this recipe, it sounds great. Thanks for linking it up to my First Monday Favorites.
Corina
Hot turkey sandwiches are always good! I love pies too. I hope you enjoy this and thanks for hosting First Monday favourites - It's great to have a way to keep in touch with some of the old SRC bloggers
applytofaceblog
Have Turkey coming out of my ears!Lovely recipe for an easy meal.Just what is required in the holidays!Thankyou for hosting and a Happy New Year!X
Corina
Thanks and happy new year to you too! x
Culinary Flavors
This is an excellent way to use leftovers! Happy Christmas and Joy in your hearts!
Corina
Thank you Katrina! I wish you all the best for 2017!
May EatCookExplore
That's a great idea for things to do with turkey. There is always so much leftover after Christmas. I tend to use up the meat in a stir fry with noodles or a curry. Shred the meat and keep it in the freezer for later.
Corina
I love using it in a curry too and stir fries are always a great way of using up leftovers as well!
Monika
You are very organised to be thinking of what to do with leftover turkey already! This recipe looks great, no fuss (which is ideal after all the Christmas cooking) and the leftover meat doesn't go to waste.
Corina
I was organised but then chaos took over - I had a couple more posts I was going to do but just didn't have time in the end!
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com
YUM! What a fab thing to do with leftover turkey. I am currently working my way through photographing and writing my leftovers ideas...I have quite a few this year and two fab ones for turkey if you need some more inspiration - they'll be out next week. But I really do like your idea of making something like this that can be frozen and used at a later date as you are very right...you can get a bit sick of turkey after Christmas!! Eb x
Corina
Thanks Eb x
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Sounds and look delicious what a great way of using up left over turkey.
Corina
Thank you Jacqui! And sorry I'm so late replying - hope you've had a fantastic Christmas and New Year!
hijackedbytwins
I love a good leftovers dinner and this is one that my lot would love! x #CookOnceEatTwice
Corina
I'm so pleased they'd all enjoy it x
petra08
This sounds like a great way to use up left overs. I always add more vegetables, there can't be enough! We always make a curry, usually we have to eat it for a couple of days but then all the turkey is gone 🙂
Corina
I love homemade curries and that's definitely a good way to use it all up!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
Sometimes I feel "crazy" and Christmas go hand and hand. Recipes like this can be a blessing. Quick, easy, delicious, and best of all it's "cook once, eat twice"!
Corina
Exactly! I love Christmas but I am constantly feeling like I am behind on everything at the moment.