Freeze Leftover Turkey?

[nettieplee]

After Thanksgiving this year, we didn't have a chance to use up all of our leftover turkey. I divided it up, put it in ziploc bags and threw it in the freezer. Do you guys think it is still usuable? Can I just thaw it out in the fridge and use it in a tetrazzini or other type of turkey recipe?

Thanks!

 

[jkath]

Yes you can freeze it!
Many times I have double bagged it w/ziploc freezer bags, but I recently got a food saver, which is much better, imo, but if you don't have one, the double bagging is fine. If you don't have enough time to thaw it in the fridge, try popping it into some boiling broth to start a pot of turkey soup.

 

[marmalady]

You betcha! Turkey freezes very well, as does the carcass if you want to make soup with it down the road. I've also been known to freeze little packages of leftover gravy, for hot turkey sandwiches!

 

[Constance]

It will be just fine, but don't let it set in there for too long. Turkey and chicken tend to get a "Freezer taste" sooner than other things. I wouldn't let it go over 6 months.

 

[Robo410]

should be good till spring. My turkey carcass comes out for soup end of Jan!

 

[purrfectlydevine]

At Thanksgiving we appropriately package leftover turkey, filling etc. to reappear as Christmas dinner. If there is way too much turkey we make extra packages to reappear later on.

 

[mudbug]

You betcha! Turkey freezes very well, as does the carcass if you want to make soup with it down the road. I've also been known to freeze little packages of leftover gravy, for hot turkey sandwiches!

you have leftover gravy????????????????????

 

[marmalady]

Lol, Mudbug, yes I do - I plan for it! I make about 2 gallons of turkey stock the week before Thanksgiving (turkey wings, carrot/onion/celery, peppercorns, bay leaf - no seasoning, I leave that til I'm making gravy or soup - place all on a baking sheet, roast at 450 for about 45 minutes - throw all that in a stockpot and scrape the browned bits from the baking sheet, cook for about 3 hours. Then I've got all the stock I want. Frozen in gallon bags, I'm ready for gravy and soup later on!

After the turkey is cooked, I put the roasting pan on the stove, add about a quart of the stock, scrape up all the goodies off the bottom, and let that boil. Then I just mix up a cornstarch slurry and start adding that and more stock alternately, til I get the quantity and thickness I want, and then add seasonings. I usually end up with more than a half-gallon of gravy!

 

[mudbug]

excellent plan, marm. I will try to follow your superior example next time there's a turkey in the house. Why wait for Thanksgiving?!

 

[LadyCook61]

I used frozen and thawed out left over turkey from Christmas 2007 , today for supper, in a casserole. it was good.