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    Home » Recipes » Casseroles » Turkey Casserole

    Turkey Casserole

    Published: November 29, 2019 · Modified: Mar 29, 2020 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    Making turkey for your holiday meal doesn't have to mean cooking a whole bird! So for my thanksgiving meal with friends I baked a giant turkey breast and made a delicious turkey casserole with butternut squash, caramelized onions, peas, and a brown butter brandied gravy that is just beyond. The whole dish got topped with crispy fried onions and some jalapeños for added kick. This was such a low-stress, high-flavor dish that I will be adding it into me weeknight dinner rotation!

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    turkey casserole on a white plate with a fork

    Moist, flavorful turkey breast paired with roasted butternut squash, onions caramelized with brandy, pasta, peas in a savory cheesy sauce all topped with crispy fried onions and jalapeños. 

    I’ve giving you all the steps for this recipe to make from scratch but you can TOTALLY use your leftover turkey for it. If you’re making a turkey dinner and want to plan ahead for this casserole then just roast butternut squash and onions and you’ll be making this in a flash!

    You should say yes to this casserole for get togethers because aside from the amazing taste, it’s really easy to put together and you can make it ahead! Did I mention the fried sage leaves?? 

    How to make turkey casserole

    A turkey breadt with onions before and after baking.

    • Add seasoning your giant turkey breast and place it in a deep baking dish. Surround with sliced onions. Drizzle with olive oil and bake a 375F. Move the onions around a 3-4 times during the bake. Pouring brandy over the breast towards the end of baking will add flavor and help deglaze the onions. Bake the butternut squash at the same, it will cook thought faster than the turkey so keep a timer on it. While your dish is in the oven make the brown butter brandy sauce.
    • Remove meat from turkey breast and shred. Place back in the dish with the now caramelized onions.

    A turkey casserole getting assembled with sauce.

    • Add butternut squash, noodles, peas, and cheese to the casserole.
    •  Pour the brown butter brandy sauce over the dish.

    Turkey casserole getting fried onions placed on top

    • Mix well so there’s an even distribution of ingredients.
    • Sprinkle with fried onions and some fried jalapeños if you’d like an extra kick. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Garnish with fried sage.

    Here are some  great RECIPEs that go with this!

    Green Bean Casserole

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    Pumpkin Pie

    A plate of turkey casserole with sweet potatoes, peas and onions

    Frequently asked questions

    How to make turkey casserole with leftovers

    Sub in leftover turkey meat and any vegetables you cooked in the pan with it or roasted separately for the turkey breast with onions and butternut squash. Add the noodles, frozen peas, cheese and sauce. Top with fried onions and bake. 

    How to make turkey casserole if you’re in a rush

    • Use two rotisserie chickens in place of the turkey breast.
    • Buy precut butternut squash and cook in microwave until tender.
    • If you’re REALLY pressed on time sub the brown butter brandy sauce for cream of mushroom soup

    How long will this keep for?

    This casserole can be frozen for two months or in the refrigerator for three days.

    Pro Tips for making Turkey casserole

    • You can sub in frozen butternut squash as a time saver. Just cook according to the package’s instructions and add in.
    • This recipe calls for gouda but any number of cheeses will be great including cheddar, jack, or muenster
    • Alchohol in the brandy will cook off but you can omit it if desired.
    • This casserole keeps for up to three days in the refrigerator but you can freeze it for up to two months. Make sure to wrap well.
    • I love egg noodles in this dish but macaroni, gemelli and rotini work well too.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

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    If you’ve tried this turkey casserole recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    Print
    5 from 9 votes

    Turkey Casserole

    A delicious and easy to make ahead turkey casserole with roasted butternut squash, peas and caramelized onions all topped with crispy jalapeños, onions and fried sage.
    Course dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
    Servings 10 people
    Calories 535kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Ingredients

    For the Turkey Casserole:

    • 1 turkey breast
    • 2 onions large
    • 1 teaspoon salt 6g
    • 1 teaspoon pepper 6g
    • 1 teaspoon thyme 1g
    • 3 cups butternut squash 615g, roasted and cubed
    • 16 oz green peas frozen
    • ½ lb egg noodles
    • 2 cups gouda cheese 216g, shredded
    • 1/3 cup brandy 79mL
    • 5 oz French’s Crispy Jalapenos optional
    • 5 oz French’s Crispy Fried Onions
    • 1 sprig sage leaves

    For the Sauce:

    • 1/2 cup butter 113g, melted
    • ⅓ cup flour 43g
    • ¼ cup brandy 60mL
    • 4 cups chicken stock 946mL

    Instructions

    INSTRUCTIONS:

      For the Turkey:

      • Preheat oven to 350F degrees
      • Place turkey in a deep baking dish.
      • Season turkey with salt, pepper and thyme.
      • Add chopped onions around the sides of the turkey
        The Best Turkey Casserole
      • Bake for about 60 minutes, or until the internal temp is 160 degrees F. Toss the onions two to three times during baking to ensure even cooking. Towards the end of the bake, pour about 1/3 cup of brandy over the breast and onions.

      For the Sauce:

      • Melt butter and allow to brown in a medium pan over medium heat.
      • Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
      • Add brandy and allow to reduce.
      • Add in chicken stock.
      • Cook until thick while stirring occasionally.

      For the Butternut Squash

      • Slice the butternut squash in half. 
      • Roast on a baking sheet for 25- 30 minutes. 
      • When cooled, slice into cubes. 

      For the Casserole:

      • Shred turkey meat.
        The Best Turkey Casserole
      • Place shredded meat back into casserole dish.
      • Add butternut squash, peas and egg noodles.
        The Best Turkey Casserole
      • Drizzle sauce.
        The Best Turkey Casserole
      • Add gouda, French’s Crispy Jalapeños and and French's Crispy Fried Onions
        The Best Turkey Casserole
      • Mix together.
        The Best Turkey Casserole
      • Bake for 20 minutes at 350F.
      • While the casserole is baking heat oil in a small pan and fry the sage leaves for a few seconds three at a time. Transfer to a paper towel and sprinkle with sea salt then arrange on casserole when its done baking. 
        The Best Turkey Casserole

      Video

      Notes

      • You can sub in frozen butternut squash as a time saver. Just cook according to the package's instructions and add in.
      • If you're really in a rush you can use a large can or cream of mushroom soup in place of the brown butter brandy sauce. 
      • This recipe calls for gouda but any number of cheeses will be great including cheddar, jack, or muenster
      • Alchohol in the brandy will cook off but you can omit it if desired.
      • This casserole keeps for up to three days in the refrigerator but you can freeze it for up to two months. Make sure to wrap well.
      • I love egg noodles in this dish but macaroni, gemelli and rotini work well too.

      Nutrition

      Serving: 1g | Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 946mg | Potassium: 688mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5355IU | Vitamin C: 29.1mg | Calcium: 338mg | Iron: 2.4mg
      *Nutrition Disclaimer
      Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!

       

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      Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

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