Over the years I’ve made a lot of recipes with my Thanksgiving leftovers, but this turkey and potato dumpling bowl of soup is without a doubt my favorite. That might be a little bold, but this bowl of incredibly creamy and flavorful turkey and dumplings is SO GOOD. It’s the perfect cold-weather dinner to warm up to after a day of decking the halls, cutting down the Christmas tree…and maybe even some Black Friday shopping too…although personally, I much prefer Cyber Monday. As I mentioned earlier this week, my family is not spending Thanksgiving here in Colorado. It’s going to be our first Thanksgiving away from Colorado since we went to Cleveland a few years back to celebrate with family after my Nonnie passed. Most of my family will be in Lake Tahoe. Being split up is the biggest bummer. We normally do big family Thanksgivings, cut our family Christmas tree down, and do all things “holiday”. Sadly this year is just an off-year and timing-wise we couldn’t all make it work. The good news is that Christmas is set in stone and everyone will be here in Colorado. I’m so excited, and yes, I will still be decking the halls come Black Friday. It’s a tradition, and I really love a good tradition.
Alright, but back to Thanksgiving, and back to these turkey and potato dumplings. Are you all getting excited? Do you enjoy the Thanksgiving dinner most of all, OR do you actually look forward to the leftovers more? I’m always curious, as I know some people actually look forward to the leftovers more than the big meal itself. I love the Thanksgiving meal most, BUT I do love the leftovers too. Especially if they include mashed potato dumplings, which brings me to this recipe. This is really just like chicken and dumplings, but so much better.
Let me tell you the details.
You’ll need leftover shredded turkey and leftover mashed potatoes for this recipe. In addition to the turkey and mashed potatoes, hopefully, you’ll still have plenty of fresh herbs, carrots, celery, and broth leftover from Thanksgiving. This is the base of our soup. Assuming you have these items all ready to go, you can make this at a moment’s notice…EASY. Start with the soup base. Cook up some shallots, all the leftover carrots, and celery. Add in plenty of herbs (sage and thyme preferably), broth, and a very generous splash of wine (not a must, but if you have it on hand, it adds great flavor). Bring the soup to a simmer for a bit while you make the dumplings.
The mashed potato dumplings.
Oh my gosh. There is nothing better than these dumplings. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed that I thought to use my mashed potatoes to make dumplings. I don’t know why it sounded good, but it did, so I went for it. And it worked…these creamy dumplings are DELICIOUS. Just mix your leftover mashed potatoes, with flour, and eggs, and fresh sage. That’s it, then add them to the boiling soup. Ten minutes later you have the fluffiest potato dumplings and your kitchen will indeed smell amazing. And finally the secret to getting a creamy soup? Stirring a spoonful of the mashed potatoes into the brothy base just before adding the dumpling dough. The mashed potatoes melt into the soup and make it SO CREAMY. I did this only by mistake, but ended up loving it so much that I added the step to the recipe. I know it’s a little dramatic, but I love this bowl of turkey and potato dumplings so much. It’s classic, but with a twist, and so cozy and warming. I really cannot think of a better way to use up the Thanksgiving leftovers. Bonus, this will easily feed all the lingering house guests you may or may not have. Perfect for feeding many mouths, but nice and easy after cooking all day on Thursday. Hard to beat one pot and done!
If you make these one pot creamy turkey and potato dumplings, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
