When Thanksgiving is still weeks away, the wait for turkey and its familiar sides can feel long. These 19 recipes bring turkey to the table in more than one form, from a whole roasted bird and glazed breast to soup, sandwiches, pasta, and skillet dinners. The collection includes holiday-style mains alongside practical ways to use ground turkey or leftovers. Pick a dish for tonight or start trying Thanksgiving flavors before the big meal.
Turkey Tetrazzini
A bubbling pasta bake puts Turkey Tetrazzini in the mix for a Thanksgiving-style dinner without roasting another bird. It takes 45 minutes and serves six, combining cooked turkey, spaghetti, mushrooms, chicken broth, half-and-half, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs. The creamy casserole is also a handy way to use leftover turkey after the holiday, but it works as a hearty main any time the craving arrives.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Tetrazzini
Spatchcock Turkey
For a centerpiece with plenty of traditional flavor, Spatchcock Turkey serves 12 and takes 150 minutes total. The bird is brined with apple cider, salt, sugar, oranges, celery, juniper berries, and herbs before roasting with white wine. Its flattened shape helps the turkey cook evenly, making this a full holiday-style project for a weekend when Thanksgiving still feels a few weeks off.
Get the Recipe: Spatchcock Turkey
Turkey Pinwheels
A chilled platter of Turkey Pinwheels brings a lighter, snackable turkey option to the weeks before Thanksgiving. The recipe makes 12 and takes 75 minutes, including chill time, with tortillas wrapped around sliced turkey, cream cheese, dried cranberries, green onions, mozzarella, and romaine. Serve the spirals for lunch, an appetizer spread, or a simple way to work holiday flavors into an ordinary afternoon.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Pinwheels
Maple Glazed Turkey Breast
A smaller roast keeps Maple Glazed Turkey Breast within reach when a whole turkey is more than dinner needs. It takes 100 minutes and lists 16 servings, with a maple syrup and mustard glaze over turkey breast seasoned with garlic, onion, thyme, paprika, and oregano. Set it out for a small gathering or slice it for sandwiches, bringing a Thanksgiving centerpiece to the table weeks before the holiday.
Get the Recipe: Maple Glazed Turkey Breast
Turkey Soup
On a cool day, a pot of Turkey Soup delivers a familiar holiday flavor in a bowl. It takes 45 minutes and makes eight servings with cooked turkey, stock, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, bay leaves, couscous, and parsley. The simple soup is an easy use for leftover turkey, or a way to start enjoying those savory Thanksgiving notes before the main meal is on the calendar.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Soup
Turkey Sausage Patties
Breakfast gets a turkey-season twist with Turkey Sausage Patties, a 10-minute recipe that makes six servings. Ground turkey is seasoned with sage, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, olive oil, and a touch of maple syrup, then shaped into patties. Serve them alongside eggs or tuck one into a breakfast sandwich when you want a savory, make-ahead taste of turkey before Thanksgiving dinner.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Sausage Patties
Roasted Turkey Legs
Individual portions make Roasted Turkey Legs a practical way to bring a holiday-style main to the table. Four servings take 130 minutes, with turkey legs roasted alongside onion, poultry seasoning, chicken broth, white wine, salt, and pepper. This smaller-format roast suits a dinner for a few people, or anyone who wants Thanksgiving flavors without preparing a whole bird weeks before the holiday.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Turkey Legs
Turkey Casserole
A creamy pasta bake makes Turkey Casserole a useful option for the days after a holiday meal. Six servings take 35 minutes, using cooked turkey, pasta, mushrooms, condensed chicken soup, milk, Swiss cheese, and a seasoned breadcrumb topping. Bring it to the table as a filling family dinner or keep it in mind for leftovers, when the Thanksgiving bird still has a few servings to give.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Casserole
Turkey Wings
For a hands-on alternative to carving a whole bird, Turkey Wings make three servings in 130 minutes. The wings cook with onion, poultry seasoning, garlic, chicken broth, white wine, salt, and pepper, then finish with parsley. They fit a smaller holiday dinner or a weekend meal for anyone looking for classic turkey flavor in a more casual format before Thanksgiving arrives.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Wings
Turkey Meatballs
A pan of Turkey Meatballs turns ground turkey into a dinner that feels right at home beside Thanksgiving sides. Four servings take 50 minutes, with breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and nutmeg mixed into the meat. They are served with a savory beef broth gravy, making mashed potatoes a natural pairing for a cozy meal before the holiday feast.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Meatballs
Turkey Burger
A grilled patty gives Turkey Burger a relaxed place in this early Thanksgiving lineup. The recipe takes 40 minutes and makes three burgers, combining ground turkey with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, red onion, garlic, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add tomatoes and greens on the buns, then serve with a simple side when you want a turkey dinner that feels less formal than a holiday roast.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Burger
Crockpot Turkey Breast
Let the slow cooker handle the centerpiece with Crockpot Turkey Breast, which makes six servings in 6 hours and 15 minutes. Boneless turkey breast cooks with cranberry sauce, dry onion soup mix, and orange juice for a sweet-savory finish. Serve it with potatoes or vegetables for a low-fuss Sunday dinner, or bring it out when Thanksgiving flavors sound good before the oven is reserved for the holiday.
Get the Recipe: Crockpot Turkey Breast
Turkey Pot Pie
Golden pastry over a creamy filling gives Turkey Pot Pie a place among the most familiar cool-weather dinners. It serves eight and takes 55 minutes, with turkey, refrigerated pie crust, carrots, celery, mushrooms, peas, broth, and milk in the filling. This is a fitting dish for leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, though its savory, home-style flavor can go on the menu weeks before the celebration.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Gravy
No roasted bird is required for Turkey Gravy, a 35-minute sauce built from pantry staples. Butter and flour form the roux, while onion, garlic, dried thyme, fresh rosemary, and chicken or turkey stock create its savory base. Spoon it over roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, or stuffing for a taste of the holiday plate, even when Thanksgiving is still weeks away.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Gravy
Roasted Turkey
The centerpiece itself takes the spotlight in Roasted Turkey, an eight-serving bird with a total time of 260 minutes. Parsley, cilantro, thyme, garlic, and softened butter season the turkey, while green apples, chicken stock, and white wine go into the roasting pan. Choose it for a full Thanksgiving-style meal at home, or save the recipe for a smaller gathering before the official holiday.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Turkey
Turkey Meatloaf
A sliceable main brings a different shape to the holiday menu with Turkey Meatloaf. The recipe serves eight and takes 75 minutes, pairing ground turkey with sundried tomatoes, feta, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and parsley. Serve it with potatoes or roasted vegetables for a sit-down dinner, or use it to bring turkey to the table in a week that is not yet Thanksgiving.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf
Turkey Chili
When a bowl of something hearty sounds good, Turkey Chili brings turkey into a one-pot dinner. It takes 45 minutes and serves eight, with ground turkey, Mexican seasoning, bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, kidney beans, and broth. Finish bowls with avocado, sour cream, or cilantro for an easy meal that carries some Thanksgiving-season flavor without waiting for the big dinner.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Chili
Turkey Sliders
Small sandwiches make Turkey Sliders easy to share before the main holiday meal. Twelve sliders take 27 minutes, layering cooked turkey and Havarti on party rolls with butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, dried onion, and poppy seeds. Set them out for a casual lunch, game-day spread, or quick dinner, especially when the Thanksgiving menu is still weeks away but turkey sounds good now.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Sliders
Turkey Bolognese
A slow-simmered tomato sauce gives Turkey Bolognese a hearty spot in the weeks before Thanksgiving. The recipe takes 75 minutes and combines ground turkey with onion, celery, carrots, garlic, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, parsley, and herbs. Spoon it over pasta for a filling dinner, and bring a different kind of turkey dish to the table before the holiday bird takes center stage.
Get the Recipe: Turkey Bolognese