This leftover turkey casserole takes your extra Thanksgiving turkey and combines it with a creamy sauce, cheese, and egg noodles to make a satisfying casserole the whole family will love.
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Pin RecipeTurkey is the star of the show when it comes to Thanksgiving. But no matter how much turkey you seem to eat on the big day, there always seems to be leftovers! Instead of making turkey sandwich after turkey sandwich, put that spare turkey to good use and turn it into another meal with this creamy leftover turkey casserole.
If you’ve never used your leftover turkey to make a turkey casserole, get ready to fall in love with this repurposed dish. The leftover turkey gets mixed in with a super creamy sauce, loads of veggies, and egg noodles. It’s worth making a bigger turkey on Thanksgiving just to make sure you have leftovers to make this dish!
Easy Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipe
The turkey is obviously the key ingredient in this leftover turkey casserole. And the good news is that this casserole is also great if your turkey suffered a bit in the oven and needs a little revamp! If it was too dry or somehow lacked in flavor, the casserole will easily bring it back to life.
Leftover turkey casserole is also great to place in the freezer to serve at a later date. It will extend your Thanksgiving holiday long into the winter and let you put those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers to good use, rather than forgetting they’re in the fridge and having to throw them away.
Items Needed
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Unsalted butter
- Panko breadcrumbs – While regular breadcrumbs work too, panko gives the topping some extra crunch!
- Parmesan
- Dried oregano
- Onion – Make sure to dice them nice and small.
- Celery – Dice the celery the same size as the onions so they cook at the same time.
- Garlic
- Cream of chicken soup – Adds flavor and thickness to the creamy sauce.
- Sour cream
- Cheddar cheese
- Leftover turkey – Shred or cube the turkey for the casserole.
- Egg noodles – Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
- Frozen peas
- Lemon zest – Adds a nice brightness to the casserole.
- Parsley
- Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Variations
- Not a fan of peas? Try frozen green beans instead.
- Want to amp up the veggies even more? Sautéed mushrooms would be delicious too!
- Have some crispy French fried onions leftover from your green bean casserole? You can use those for the topping instead of the panko mixture!
How To Make Leftover Turkey Casserole
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 400ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Melt half of the butter in the microwave and set aside.
- Make The Topping: In a small bowl, combine the panko, half the parmesan, and melted butter. Mix everything together until the butter is fully combined and set to the side.
- Prepare The Casserole: In a Dutch oven, add the remaining butter, onion, and celery. Cook together over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to cook for about a minute. Add the soup and sour cream into the pot and continue to stir. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Add in the cheddar and parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Stir in the turkey, noodles, peas, lemon zest, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Bake The Casserole: Pour the turkey mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until the crumbs on top of the casserole are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let the casserole cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Quick Tip
When cooking the noodles, you want them to be al dente, or a little less than fully cooked. Don’t worry, they’ll finish cooking in the casserole sauce while it bakes in the oven!
How To Store Leftover Turkey Casserole
Any leftovers of the leftover turkey casserole will keep for about 5-7 days after cooking. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator and warm them up in the oven or in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.
The casserole can also be frozen and saved for a later day. Simply freeze the casserole or any leftovers in an airtight container and place it in the freezer. The casserole will last in the freezer for about 2-3 months.
FAQs
Leftover turkey is good for about 3-4 days. It pays to use the leftover turkey and make this leftover turkey casserole right away and freeze it if you don’t plan on eating it immediately. That way, you can use all of the leftovers and won’t have any of them go to waste.
Leftover turkey casserole is an excellent main dish and can pretty much be served with any side dish. Serve the casserole with roasted vegetables, a salad, dinner rolls, or any leftover side dishes for a mini Thanksgiving meal.
The best way to reheat leftover turkey casserole is to place it in the oven at low heat. Preheat the oven to 300ºF and let the turkey casserole warm up for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will allow it to be warm throughout without drying out the turkey.
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Leftover Turkey Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup parmesan
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ medium onion, diced small
- 2 stalks celery, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3-4 cups leftover turkey, cubed or shredded
- 8 ounces egg noodles, cooked
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Melt half the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the panko, half of the parmesan, and melted butter. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the remaining butter and heat until melted. Add the onion and celery and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the soup and sour cream and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the cheddar and parmesan and stir to combine. Add the turkey, noodles, peas, lemon zest, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until breadcrumbs are golden brown and the casserole is hot throughout, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
This was so delicious
Thank you, Samantha! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. 😊