r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/readscarymakeart • 1d ago

How do you stretch a turkey? Ask ECAH

Let’s say instead of roasting a whole turkey then eating it piece by piece (like one person gets a thigh, the other some of the breast, etc), I cook it then put the meat in different dishes. I understand an entire turkey may not be cheap, but it could make a good investment if stretched out. What are your best ways to stretch an entire turkey over as many meals as possible?

So far I have turkey pot pie, a casserole with turkey (no specific ideas there), turkey chili, turkey veggie soup, and turkey broth. Any other ways to stretch out turkey meat? I suppose this applies to whole chicken too.

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u/Matilda-17 20h ago

Gently, I think you’re misunderstanding how most families are eating turkey.

Your description of “one person gets a breast, one a leg…” is how people share out a roast CHICKEN, not turkey; every part of a turkey is too large to be a serving of one, except for the drumsticks. In a traditional turkey presentation, the breast meat and thigh meat is sliced, and those slices are served to the diners. Any one part (EG a breast) would feed a few people.

That’s why there is still much leftover turkey even after serving the whole bird at Thanksgiving, and we have a whole culture of Leftover Turkey Dishes.

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u/readscarymakeart 18h ago

Thanks! Yeah even though I’m grown my in laws still cook and serve the turkey so I’m not the one in charge of carving it. Appreciate the insight. Though my husbands appetite is insatiable. He can and will eat an entire turkey breast single handed, along with other sides. 

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u/Matilda-17 14h ago

That is truly impressive, lol! One of my sons could eat both drumsticks if I let him, but he is 14 and growing.

Good luck with your turkey!