Use up some leftover Thanksgiving turkey with this delicious turkey casserole recipe! Loaded with flavor from sauteed onions, garlic, and mushrooms, this creamy, cheesy casserole takes leftover turkey from ho-hum to yum!
Since you use cooked turkey, the casserole comes together in a flash. And instead of using cream of mushroom soup, I make a simple cheese sauce that adds layers of flavor and makes this dish oh-so-satisfying while still being an easy recipe! If you’re looking for more hearty casserole recipes, then try my breakfast casserole recipe, tuna casserole recipe, or easy chicken casserole.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Egg noodles — start with uncooked egg noodles, but you could also use short pasta like macaroni or penne.
Breadcrumbs — mixed with butter, breadcrumbs form a crisp golden topping.
Butter — you need unsalted butter for turkey casserole. If you only have salted butter, use ½ teaspoon less salt than the recipe calls for.
Aromatics — diced yellow onion and minced garlic add savory flavor to the casserole.
Mushrooms — I used sliced white mushrooms, but you could also use cremini mushrooms (also called baby bella mushrooms).
All-purpose flour — flour acts as a thickener for the creamy sauce.
Milk — you can use whole milk or 2% milk.
Basil — dried basil adds a slightly minty flavor to this dish.
Cheese — shredded cheddar cheese adds richness and loads of flavor to the sauce. You’ll also need some for a light topping. Depending on your preferences, you can use sharp or mild cheddar cheese. Or use a completely different cheese like gouda or Colby.
Turkey — you need 1 pound of cooked chopped turkey (about 3 cups). You can use light meat or dark meat or a mix of both. Another good recipe to try if you’re using Thanksgiving leftover turkey is my turkey pot pie recipe.
Peas — if you don’t have frozen peas on hand or don’t like them, you can also use frozen carrot rounds, green beans, small broccoli florets, or corn.
Fresh parsley — this is an optional garnish, but it adds a pop of bright green and a slightly peppery bite to the casserole.
How to Make Turkey Casserole
1. Add the egg noodles to boiling salted water and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside for now.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a small bowl and melt it in the microwave in 20-second intervals. Cover the bowl with a microwave cover or paper towel in case the butter splatters. Add the breadcrumbs to the melted butter and stir until well coated. Set aside for the time being.
3. Set a large pot over medium-high heat, and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, and minced garlic and cook until softened, which will take about 6 minutes.
4. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Slowly stir in the milk and then add the dried basil, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. This takes about 5 minutes.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1½ cups of shredded cheese until melted.
7. Once the cheese has melted, add the cooked noodles, chopped turkey, and frozen peas to the pot. Stir until well combined.
8. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and transfer the casserole mixture to it. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese over the turkey mixture, and then top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is nice and bubbly. For a pop of color, garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use a large pot. This makes it easy to mix everything together before transferring to the casserole dish.
- Swap the butter for olive oil. For cooking the onions, mushrooms, and garlic, you can use olive oil instead of unsalted butter. I recommend sticking with butter to mix with the breadcrumbs, though.
- Shred the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-clumping agents, so it doesn’t melt as nicely as freshly grated cheese. Plus, the blocks are typically less expensive per ounce than the pre-shredded bags!
- You can use a different pasta. Instead of egg noodles, you can use short pasta like penne, macaroni, gemelli, rotini, or fusilli.
- Don’t be concerned if the mixture looks very saucy. During baking, the noodles will absorb some of the liquid, and you’ll end up with a thick, creamy casserole.
- Make a turkey casserole with rice. Cook 2 cups of long-grain rice, brown rice, or wild rice to use instead of noodles. Cook the rice until just tender instead of completely soft because it may end up mushy when baked if it was cooked for too long.
- Add fried sage! For an extra dose of fall flavor, fry 12 sage leaves 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet. Reserve a few for garnish, then crumble the others and mix them into the pot along with the turkey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like most other casseroles, turkey noodle casserole can be made in advance. Prepare the entire casserole as directed, but don’t butter the bread crumbs or add them to the casserole. Once you have everything in the casserole dish (minus the bread crumbs, of course), wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake it, stir the bread crumbs with the butter and sprinkle on top of the casserole. You may need to add a few minutes to the bake time since the ingredients will be cold.
You can use shredded rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or roast chicken instead of turkey. You could also brown a pound of ground turkey in some oil to use instead of shredded turkey.
Feel free to use different vegetables instead of, or in addition to, peas. Sliced or diced carrots, whole corn kernels, chopped green beans, chopped kale, or broccoli florets work well. If the carrots and broccoli pieces are large, you may need to steam them for 5 to 10 minutes prior to adding them to the casserole so they turn out tender.
Once it cools completely, transfer leftover turkey casserole to an airtight container and refrigerate. It will stay good for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven in an oven-safe dish at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until warmed through.
If you want to assemble the turkey casserole well in advance and freeze it, prepare everything aside from the bread crumb topping, tightly cover the casserole dish with foil and plastic wrap, and freeze. The day before you want to bake the casserole, place it in the refrigerator to thaw (at least overnight). When you’re ready to bake it, prepare and add the buttered breadcrumbs and then bake the casserole as directed.
You can make this casserole the star and simply serve it alone or with an easy kale salad. Or, add to a spread along with dishes like green bean casserole, cornbread pudding, chicken pot pie, and pumpkin pie for dessert!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this turkey casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Turkey Casserole
Video
Equipment
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 8 ounces egg noodles uncooked (227g)
- ¾ cup breadcrumb (84g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided (85g)
- 1 onion diced, (263g)
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (227g)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 4 cups milk (960mL)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided (168g)
- 1 pound cooked chopped turkey (450g)
- 1 cup frozen peas (170g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the noodles in salted water according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl in the microwave in 20-second intervals. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until well coated.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1½ cups of cheese until melted. Add the noodles, turkey, and peas. Stir until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheese and top with the buttered breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and the filing is bubbly. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Use a large pot. This makes it easy to mix everything together before transferring to the casserole dish.
- Swap the butter for olive oil. For cooking the onions, mushrooms, and garlic, you can use olive oil instead of unsalted butter. I recommend sticking with butter to mix with the breadcrumbs, though.
- Shred the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-clumping agents, so it doesn’t melt as nicely as freshly grated cheese. Plus, the blocks are typically less expensive per ounce than the pre-shredded bags!
- You can use a different pasta. Instead of egg noodles, you can use short pasta like penne, macaroni, gemelli, rotini, or fusilli.
- Don’t be concerned if the mixture looks very saucy. During baking, the noodles will absorb some of the liquid, and you’ll end up with a thick, creamy casserole.
- Make a turkey casserole with rice. Cook 2 cups of long-grain rice, brown rice, or wild rice to use instead of noodles. Cook the rice until just tender instead of completely soft because it may end up mushy when baked if it was cooked for too long.
- Add fried sage! For an extra dose of fall flavor, fry 12 sage leaves 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet. Reserve a few for garnish, then crumble the others and mix them into the pot along with the turkey.
Hi, this sounds really good because a whole turkey is just too much for two! But I love stuffing! I think I’ll copy this idea and use stuffing in place of the noodles. And serve with homemade cranberry sauce.
I know this would be a hit at my house! Looks beautiful!
Looks great!