We’re giving your leftover Thanksgiving turkey some new life by adding it to this easy frittata! Add some mushrooms, veggies, and goat cheese for a full, simple holiday breakfast. Easy to customize with whatever you have on hand!
Alright: You did it. You pulled off an excellent Thanksgiving dinner (YAY, YOU!) The turkey was juicy, the classic mashed potatoes were creamy, the cranberry sauce was...cranberry-y? Whatever. You nailed it.
But now, you’re left with a fridge full of food and one nagging question:
What to do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers?
You can certainly heat them up as is for Thanksgiving 2.0. But we always like to reimagine holiday leftovers into a whole new dish. And this leftover turkey frittata is just the ticket.
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Ingredients
For a full ingredients list and exact quantities, scroll to the recipe card below.
This recipe is VERY forgiving, but we want to highlight a few things before you jump in:
- Cut any leftover turkey (we love our herb turkey breast here!) into bite-sized pieces, and remove any rubbery skin.
- Heavy cream gives our frittata its rich, custard-y texture. You can swap half and half if you like.
- Goat cheese is our-go to in this recipe for plenty of bright, tangy flavor. You can swap it for white cheddar, feta, gruyere, or some dots of cream cheese (just like we do in our smoked salmon scrambled eggs!)
- Veggies! Use any vegetables you like here. We like to follow this loose formula: A handful of aromatics (onion, garlic, celery) plus 1-2 hearty veggies (mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, potatoes) and 1 leafy green (kale, spinach, arugula).
Riffs and Substitutions
This leftover turkey frittata is a great blank canvas! You can make plenty of swaps to use whatever you have on hand. Some of our favorite adjustments:
- Garnish the frittata with fresh sliced or diced tomatoes or a handful of fresh chopped herbs.
- Make this vegetarian by leaving out the turkey.
- For extra protein, add some cooked Italian sausage or crispy bacon along with the turkey. This recipe also works with leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken!
Step by Step Instructions
Whisk the egg mixture together
Whisk eggs and cream together in a medium bowl. Then stir in some crumbled goat cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir gently and try not to break up the small chunks of goat cheese - they'll be studded throughout the frittata for a perfect creamy, cheesy bite!
Sauté the veggies
Sauté some diced onion and mushrooms with a bit of butter in a cast iron skillet until the onions turn translucent and mushrooms begin to soften. Then add some chopped veggies (like broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers, or zucchini - we used asparagus here!) and cook for another few minutes until everything is soft.
Finally, add a handful of leafy veggies (like spinach or kale) and stir in your leftover diced turkey.
Why cook the veggies before baking the frittata?
Sautéeing the veggies before adding the eggs helps to develop a lot more flavor, and it lets the veggies release some of their moisture before baking so the frittata is thick and creamy (instead of soggy). It also ensures all of our veggies have a head start, so they're properly cooked even though the eggs will cook rather quickly in the oven.
Bake the Frittata
Gently pour the egg mixture over the veggies - no need to stir!
Use an oven mitt to transfer the skillet to a 400° Fahrenheit oven and bake until the eggs have puffed up and started to brown on top (this usually takes about 12-15 minutes). Let the frittata cool for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Frittata Vs. Omelet Vs. Quiche Vs. Strata
They’re all egg-centric, but what’s the difference between a frittata, omelet, quiche, and strata? All are egg dishes and usually contain vegetables, meat, or cheese, but the preparations and assembly vary a little. This recipe is easily adapted into any of these popular egg dishes!
A frittata starts on the stovetop but finishes cooking in the oven. Eggs are poured over other ingredients that have been sautéed in an oven-safe skillet. Unlike a scramble, the eggs in a frittata are not stirred once added.
An omelet is usually done entirely on the stovetop. Eggs are added to the pan first and cooked partially through, then topped with filling ingredients and folded (or rolled) over the top of the filling.
A quiche is a cross between a frittata and a pie. It has a crust on the bottom like an open faced pie, and is filled by pouring a combination of eggs and other ingredients into the crust before baking in the oven.
A strata includes bread, either as torn or cubed bread pieces mixed in with eggs - like a savory bread pudding - or layered in a baking dish with eggs and various fillings.
A Few FAQs
Yes! Prep the veggies and add the egg mixture to the skillet as directed, then cover the pan and cook over very low heat until the eggs have set. This can take a bit longer than baking in the oven, and it won't cook quite as evenly, but it will still taste good!
Let leftover frittata slices cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350° F oven until warmed through.
While you can freeze baked frittata, we don’t recommend it. When you thaw and reheat the dish the eggs can become rubbery and kind of tough. We much prefer eating this simple dish when it's fresh out of the oven!
This is a great dish to prepare the night before for an easy breakfast casserole.
Cook the filling; onions, garlic, veggies, and turkey as directed. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge overnight. In the morning, spread the veggies out in a baking dish. Mix the eggs, cheese, seasonings and pour over the veggies. Place in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. (It may take a little bit longer to bake since you will be starting with cold ingredients.)
More Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes
- Turn extra turkey into Homemade Turkey Stock!
- Whisk leftover cranberry sauce into a quick cranberry mayonnaise - perfect for turkey sandwiches!
- Swimming in leftover mashed potatoes? Make Leftover Mashed Potato Gnocchi or use them as the base for some homemade Pierogi (Polish dumplings).
- Add leftover diced turkey to this Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna, a quick turkey frittata, or an easy Turkey Pot Pie!
- Make a quick, cozy casserole with leftover turkey and mashed potatoes!
🎥 Video
More Holiday Breakfast Recipe Ideas
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know how it turned out!
Print📖 Recipe
Leftover Turkey Frittata
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy breakfast frittata is the perfect way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 4 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 1 ½ cups chopped asparagus
- ½ cup chopped kale
- ½ cup diced leftover turkey
Note: This is a very loose recipe - feel free to eyeball the exact ingredient amounts here! We also have plenty of substitution ideas in the post above and in the recipe notes below.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk eggs and cream together in a medium bowl until smooth, then gently stir in crumbled goat cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a 10” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter to skillet and let it melt, then add diced onions and sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and mushrooms begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add chopped asparagus and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cook for another minute or two, until asparagus is bright green.
- Stir in kale and leftover turkey, then turn off the heat.
- Gently pour the egg mixture into the skillet over the veggies. Don’t stir - just let it settle around everything.
- Use an oven mitt to carefully transfer the skillet to the hot oven. Bake 12-15 minutes, until eggs have puffed up and begun to lightly brown. Eggs may still be a tiny bit jiggly in the middle - that's ok!
- Remove frittata from the oven and let cool 10-15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
Equipment notes. We like to use a 10-12” cast iron skillet here. You can use another skillet if you like, as long as it’s oven-safe. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, sauté the veggies as directed, then transfer them to a greased oven-safe baking dish and continue as instructed.
Leftovers. Store cooled, leftover frittata slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350° F oven until warmed through. We don’t recommend freezing leftover frittata as it can make the eggs rubbery and tough.
Additions and Substitutions. This is a flexible recipe - mix it up however you like! We like to follow this loose formula for the veggie mixture: A handful of aromatics (onion, leeks, fennel, ginger, garlic, celery) plus 1-2 hearty veggies (mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, roasted potatoes or butternut squash) and 1 leafy green (kale, spinach, arugula). Once you get the basic order of operations down, a frittata is an excellent blank canvas for any extra veggies you have kicking around the fridge.
Make this frittata ahead of time. Sauté all veggies as directed, then let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. In the morning, spread veggies out in a baking dish, make the egg mixture, assemble, and bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes (because the ingredients are going into the oven cold, we like to reduce the oven temperature and extend the cooking time with this make-ahead version for best results).
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 823
- Sugar: 9.8 g
- Sodium: 3068.4 mg
- Fat: 57.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.1 g
- Protein: 57 g
- Cholesterol: 1189.6 mg
Keywords: thanksgiving, holiday, brunch
Julie
Thank you so much! Best Thanksgiving turkey leftovers yet. I used cheddar because I had no goat cheese and it still turned out great.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
We're so happy you loved this way to use your Thanksgiving leftovers!
Kyle
Delicious breakfast! Made with the family after our holiday get together.
★★★★★
Team Life As A Strawberry
What a great recipe to share!