Turkey Noodle Casserole Recipe – An Easy Leftover Turkey Recipe

If you are looking for a great recipe to use up some of your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, this Turkey Noodle Casserole recipe is your answer. Diced leftover turkey, sautéed vegetables and cooked pasta mixed together in a creamy cheese sauce and baked in a casserole dish for the perfect dinner for two!

It is a terrific recipe that not only uses leftover turkey, but also the extra onions, carrots and celery that you might have on hand as well.

Don’t have any leftover turkey after making your Crock Pot Turkey & Dressing recipe? No problem! Simply substitute cooked chicken instead. It is a great recipe to use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Turkey Noodle Casserole Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 ounces dried pasta noodles
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup diced carrots (from 2 medium)
• 1/2 cup diced celery (from 3 stalks)
• 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 cups cooked, shredded turkey
• 1/2 cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making this Turkey Noodle Casserole is to preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 8 x 8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set the baking dish aside while you prepare the pasta.

Cook The Noodles

For this recipe, you can use whatever noodles that you have on hand. Traditionally, noodle casseroles are made with egg noodles.

However, feel free to use Penne, Fusilli, or elbow noodles instead. I prefer to use a noodle that has ridges so that the the casserole filling sticks to the surface better. But the choice is really up to you.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. One boiling, add the noodles and cook until the pasta is cooked to al dente consistency. Because all brands differ, be sure to follow the instructions on the pasta package for the amount of time that the pasta will need to boil.

Once the pasta is done, pour the noodles in a colander to drain. Then immediately run cold water over the pasta so that it stops the cooking process. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the noddles and toss to coat. This will help prevent the pasta from sticking together as you prepare the sauce.

Cheese Sauce

To make the cheese sauce, place the butter in a large skillet. Then turn the burner on medium heat and let the butter melt.

Once the butter is melted add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook until tender. This should take about 6-7 minutes.

Then add the garlic and cook for one additional minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Now sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir. Continue to cook for 1 minute.

Then slowly stir in the milk. Be sure to deglaze the bottom of the skillet by scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula as the milk begins to heat up.

This will help release any flour that may be stuck on the bottom surface. Continue to stir and bring the mixture to a light simmer. *You do not want to bring the pot to a full boil as this will cause the milk to curdle.

Continue to cook, stirring frequently until thickened, about 5 minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese. Continue to stir until the cheese melts.

Add the cooked and drained noodles, turkey, and sour cream to the sauce and gently toss to combine. Now give the sauce a taste and add additional seasonings as desired.

Add Additional Seasoning To Taste

I usually end up adding a little more salt, black pepper and a dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes to give the sauce more flavor.

When you are ready, transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it out into an even layer. Then use the remaining shredded Cheddar cheese and sprinkle it on top.

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake until the sides are bubbly and the cheese has melted, approximately 30 minutes. Remove the Turkey Noodle Casserole from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Optional Garnish

Although adding a garnish to the top surface makes the presentation much better when serving, it also adds another layer of flavor.

I prefer to garnish with diced parsley or diced green onions. However, I have also been known to top the casserole with a little bit of leftover cranberry sauce as well.

Other Leftover Turkey Recipes

And if you find yourself with way too much turkey, don’t forget to make some of my other favorite leftover turkey recipes. However, some of these recipes are designed to feed a family so you will need to decrease the ingredients if you are only cooking for two.

• Turkey Tetrazzini For Two
• Leftover Turkey Stew
• Turkey Stir Fry
• Instant Pot Turkey Tetrazzini
• Turkey Chili
• Instant Pot Southwestern Turkey Soup
• Turkey Pot Pie
• Instant Pot Turkey Noodle Casserole
• Slow Cooker Turkey Lentil Chili

Freeze Turkey Leftovers

And don’t forget, you can always freeze any leftover turkey that your aren’t going to use right away. I suggest you dice the turkey and freeze it in 1 cup portions.

This way you can pull out the exact amount needed for the next time you want to make this Turkey Noodle Casserole or any other leftover recipe!

Enjoy! Mary

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