Turkey Cranberry Strudel is the perfect recipe for leftover turkey dinners. All of those favorite flavors are repurposed and tucked inside of puff pastry!

sliced turkey cranberry strudel stacked on a plate

The combination of ingredients inside the strudel- the turkey, the cranberries, the squash and melted cheese with a hint of rosemary- all wrapped up in a flaky Puff Pastry- is perfect.  YUMMM!  I serve chunky cranberry sauce on the side. With each bite of the strudel, we scoop up a bit of the cranberry sauce too, and it makes this dinner even better.

From a RecipeGirl reader:

I made this last year after Thanksgiving for all the family we had in town and it was a HUGE success. My family has already requested to have it again this year after Thanksgiving. I roast the squash when I roast the Butternut squash I use in my Brussel sprout and butternut squash side dish for Thanksgiving then it is done and ready for this recipe. Love it, DELICIOUS!

ingredients displayed for making turkey cranberry strudel

Ingredients needed:

  • butternut squash
  • sweet onion
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • red pepper flakes
  • maple syrup
  • puff pastry
  • shredded turkey
  • dried cranberries
  • Swiss cheese
  • rosemary
  • egg

two photos showing butternut squash and onions in bowl and then roasted on baking sheet

How to roast butternut squash:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
 
Place the squash and onions in a medium bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and peppers. Spread onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with maple syrup. Stir to coat and roast for an additional 10 minutes until the squash starts getting tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and let cool down.

four photos showing how to assemble turkey cranberry strudel

How to assemble Turkey Cranberry Strudel:

While the squash is roasting, take the puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw out for 20 to 30 minutes. Unfold both pieces of puff pastry and set them on the baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Cut the pastry as shown in the step-by-step photos above (top corners cut off and notch bottom to create end flaps).
 
Turn the oven temperature down to 400°F.
 
Spoon half of the turkey onto each pastry right down the middle portion. Divide the cranberries and sprinkle them on top of the turkey. Spoon on the cooled-down roasted squash and onions (you may have extra that you’ll wish to save and nibble on later). Divide the cheese and rosemary and sprinkle those on top of the squash.
 
Next, you’ll braid the pastry. Cut strips on both sides of the filling at a 45° angle (it should be cut parallel to the pieces that you cut off on the top (see photo below). Fold the top flap over the filling, and then begin braiding the pastry over the filling, one side and then another. Keep going, alternating sides until you get near the bottom. Fold the bottom flap over the filling and finish braiding the rest of the pastry until all strips are folded over.
 
In a small dish, whisk together egg and water. Brush the egg wash over each of the strudels.

turkey cranberry strudel on a plate

Put the strudels in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Each serving is ½ of a strudel. Serve with chunky cranberry sauce for best flavor combination. 

turkey cranberry strudel on a white platter
Although there are seemingly a lot of steps involved in this recipe, it’s really very easy to do.  Just follow the picture demo, and you’ll have dinner in about an hour. Enjoy!

Tips:

  1. If you have some leftover butternut squash that was already roasted from another recipe, go ahead and use that in place of the maple roasted squash in this recipe.
  2. Experiment with a different cheese if you’d like. The Swiss is a good combo with the ingredients in this recipe.
  3. Serve with chunky cranberry sauce on the side. Top a bite of the strudel with some cranberry sauce and…mmmm.

turkey cranberry strudel on plate

With leftover turkey, you’ll most likely want to make some leftover turkey salad sandwiches and turkey soup. But don’t be afraid to try something a little different and make this turkey cranberry strudel. Make ahead turkey sandwich kebabs would be another fun way to use up your turkey. Don’t let anything go to waste!

sliced turkey cranberry strudel stacked on a plate
5 from 1 vote

Turkey Cranberry Strudel

By RecipeGirl.com
The perfect recipe for leftover holiday dinners. All those favorite flavors tucked inside of puff pastry.
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings (½ strudel)
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Ingredients

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH:

REMAINING STRUDEL INGREDIENTS:

Instructions 

MAKE THE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Place the squash and onions in a medium bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and peppers. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with maple syrup. Stir to coat and roast for an additional 10 minutes until the squash starts getting tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and let it cool down.

ASSEMBLE THE STRUDEL:

  • While the squash is roasting, take the puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw out for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Unfold both pieces and set them on the prepared baking sheet. Cut the pastry as shown in the step-by-step photos in the post (top corners cut off and notch bottom to create end flaps).
  • Turn the oven temperature down to 400°F.
  • Spoon half of the turkey onto each pastry right down the middle portion. Divide the cranberries and sprinkle them on top of the turkey. Spoon on the cooled-down roasted squash and onions (you may have extra that you'll wish to save and nibble on later). Divide the cheese and rosemary and sprinkle those on top of the squash.
  • Next, you'll braid the pastry. Cut strips on both sides of the filling at a 45° angle (it should be cut parallel to the pieces that you cut off on the top). Fold the top flap over the filling, and then begin braiding the pastry over the filling, one side and then another. Keep going, alternating sides until you get near the bottom. Fold the bottom flap over the filling and finish braiding the rest of the pastry until all strips are folded over.
  • In a small dish, whisk together egg and water. Brush the egg wash over each of the strudels.
  • Put the strudels in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Each serving is ½ of a strudel. Serve with chunky cranberry sauce for best flavor combination.

Notes

  • If you have some leftover butternut squash that was already roasted from another recipe, go ahead and use that in place of the maple roasted squash in this recipe.
  • Experiment with a different cheese if you'd like. The Swiss was a good combo with the ingredients in this recipe.
  • Serve with chunky cranberry sauce on the side. Top a bite of the strudel with some cranberry sauce and...mmmm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 981kcal, Carbohydrates: 91g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 59g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 31g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 421mg, Potassium: 602mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 9687IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 278mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

turkey cranberry strudel on a plate

Step-by-step photo guide for how to assemble the strudel:
collage of showing how to assemble a strudel

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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7 Comments

  1. June says:

    Puff pastry…recipe calls for 2 sheets. I’m confused by the illustration. Is this one sheet in the picture so you are making 2 separate strudels or 2 sheets combined and if so, how? Side by side, end to end?

    Reply
    1. Lori Lange says:

      Yes, there are two strudels. The illustration shows how to assemble one strudel. Then repeat with the 2nd half of the ingredients to make the other one. One serving is 1/2 of one strudel to make four servings total.

  2. Linda S Schmidt says:

    I made this last year after Thanksgiving for all the family we had in town and it was a HUGE success. My family has already requested to have it again this year after Thanksgiving. I roast the squash when I roast the Butternut squash I use in my Brussel sprout and butternut squash side dish for Thanksgiving then it is done and ready for this recipe. Love it, DELICIOUS!

    Reply
    1. Lori Lange says:

      That’s great to hear!

  3. Christine E. says:

    Could you make this and freeze to bake off at a later time?

    Reply
    1. Lori Lange says:

      I’m not sure- I haven’t tried it!

  4. E Keough says:

    This is an amazing recipe, thank you for sharing. My family enjoyed it and one of them is pretty picky. It is a wonderful blend of sweet flavor with just a hint of spice. I will be making this one again. We also found that 1/2 a strudel was a bit much so we served it as 1/3s.

    Reply