Leftover Turkey Creamy Cheese Soup

Like many families this year, our Thanksgiving dinner was smaller than normal. Small turkeys, however, were hard to come by, so we still ended up with a 22-pounder for only a few people. Which means we ended up with a lot of leftover turkey! 😂 🍗 🍗 🍗

That’s not a bad thing though. We placed all the meat into freezer bags right after dinner, and tucked it away for future use.

One night last weekend, we made my favorite Easy Chicken Pot Pie with some of the turkey, and last night, we pulled a bit more from the freezer for this Leftover Turkey Creamy Cheese Soup! It was perfect for a chilly evening.

And, the good news is, we still have more turkey in the freezer waiting to be used in future easy meals.

Easy Soup Preparation

Because you are beginning with poutlry that is already cooked, this soup comes together so easily! Start by sautéing your onions and celery in a little butter until softened.

This recipe calls for a bag of frozen mixed veggies, but I only had a bag of peas and a bag of green beans in the freezer. I had fresh carrots though, so I just diced those up and sautéed them with onions and celery to soften before adding in my frozen veg.

When the veggies are softened, add some more butter, and the flour, stirring until incorporated.

Then, slowly add in the broth, stirring continuously so no lumps form. Allow it to simmer and thicken a bit before adding the half & half. You could also use regular milk if you prefer.

Add the Cooked Turkey

When the sauce has thickened a bit, slide in the cooked turkey, as well as the thyme, sage, salt & pepper. Continue cooking on a low simmer until warmed through.

I had fresh thyme, also leftover from Thanksgiving, but dried thyme works just as well.

Time for Cheese!

Cheese makes just about everything better in my opinion. Don’t you agree? 🧀

Turn off the heat, and stir in about a cup of shredded cheddar, until melted and smooth.

Dinner’s Ready!

Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top, and serve with some warm crusty bread for dipping in that cheesy sauce. We made yet another batch of our favorite Easy Beer Bread to accompany our soup. Since it only takes 45-50 minutes from start to finish, it’s perfect for whipping up for a simple weeknight dinner like this one!

Leftover Turkey Creamy Cheese Soup

Niky @ The House on Silverado

This easy soup is a great way to use up leftover turkey from your holiday dinner, but it works just as well with chicken, too. If you're in a hurry, use a rotisserie chicken from the market!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 TBSP butter divided
• 1 cup celery diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 pkg frozen mixed veggies of choice (approx. 12 oz)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups half & half or milk if you prefer
• 1 TBSP dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 3 cups cooked turkey or chicken roughly chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

 

• In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Use this to sauté the celery and onion until soft and onions are translucent.
• Add the frozen veggies, stirring until they are thawed.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and the flour, stirring until flour is incorporated.
• Slowly add the broth, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
• Allow to simmer 3-4 minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Then add the half & half or milk, stirring until a creamy sauce is formed.
• Add the salt & pepper, thyme and sage.
• Add the cooked turkey or chicken and allow to simmer until warmed through.
• Turn off the heat, and add the shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and smooth.
• Serve immediately, with more cheese sprinkled on top for garnish, and crusty bread for dipping.

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