This one pot turkey and white bean skillet with spinach is just 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes to make. It's simple, tasty and perfect for using up leftover turkey!
This one-pot turkey white bean skillet with spinach is something that just had to come out of me.
This is one of many, many twists I have on my family's classic "one pot wonder" as we call it. (Also known as a low carb leftover chicken recipe with spinach cause that's a bit more descriptive.)
It's such a go-to type of recipe in our house cause it's so dang easy!
And while the original is a favorite, I do also love changing up the flavors and switching out the ingredients to make it seem new and different.
And the prospect of making a post-holiday version was just so tempting.
So here's my leftover Thanksgiving turkey edition of the one pot wonder!
We've got sautéed onion and garlic, leftover chopped Thanksgiving turkey, some canned white beans and some fresh spinach to wilt down.
It's 5 ingredients, takes only 15 minutes to cook, and it makes your leftovers into something brand new.
I'm also all about the really easy recipes for the first few days after Thanksgiving, when we're still recovering from the multi-day cooking extravaganza of preparing that big meal.
See this 15-minute easy turkey noodle soup and easy turkey tostadas for some other inspiration.
I also love that this is on the lighter side. Some leftover turkey recipes are all about adding a pound of cheese or heavy cream or a ton of butter. And after turkey day, I just can't with all the heavy foods.
So give your body a break, keep your kitchen time to a minimum and get ready to dig into this simple, delicious skillet meal.
Let's get cooking.
Ingredient Notes:
Turkey: This recipe requires cooked turkey, so please plan accordingly. If you don't have leftover Thanksgiving or roasted turkey, you could also substitute a rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken.
Beans: We use cannellini beans, which add a great creaminess, but you could substitute another mild white bean like Great Northern beans if you prefer.
Spinach: You can use an entire 5-6 oz. bag of baby spinach, a few handfuls of regular spinach, or you could substitute any leftover Thanksgiving veggies you may have, such as green beans or Brussels sprouts.
Veggies: Or add in some extra vegetables, like mushrooms or zucchini. (Sauté those along with the onion in the beginning, until they are tender.)
As is, this recipe is gluten-free and low-carb (well, just a few carbs from the beans).
However, there's lots of ways you can add on to and serve this up if you're looking to make it more hearty.
Serving Ideas:
- Pair with some crusty bread, leftover rolls or Parmesan herb drop biscuits.
- At the holidays, I love serving this over some warmed leftover mashed potatoes. Especially when I drizzle gravy over the whole thing. Swoon!
- It would be great paired with some creamy polenta or even served with steamed brown or white rice.
- You could also use this mixture to stuff some baked regular or sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash or other winter squash.
Total deliciousness any way you do it!
I hope you have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving this year, and I wish you lots of enjoyable meals with your leftovers!
XO,
Kathryn
Turkey and White Bean Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅔ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ cups chopped leftover cooked turkey
- 1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach (see notes)
For serving (optional):
- Gravy, for drizzling
- Shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, or an Italian blend cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the turkey, beans and spinach and stir until heated through and the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, topped with cheese, if using.
Dennis Yannakos says
Look so good! This recipe is definitely worth a try <3
Kathryn Doherty says
I hope you try it and enjoy!
Danita says
Stumbled across this looking for a way to use the leftover turkey and spinach I had in my fridge. It's deceivingly simple, but so tasty! And it truly took 15 minutes all in to make, which was appreciated! I had it on its own, but look forward to trying it with yams added, as well as with roasted squash. I'll definitely be making this again!
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm so glad you loved it Danita! Thanks for sharing!
Jo Murphy says
This recipe looks really good and I love cannellinni beans. I noticed there was no broth/liquid added to the recipe? Is this correct? I really want to try this so just wondering? Enjoying recipes from your site!
Kathryn Doherty says
Correct! No liquid needed, but you could of course use some of if your pan is dry or you want a more soupy or saucy type of mixture.