Leftover Turkey Noodle Casserole
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Got leftover turkey? Turn it into a delicious turkey noodle casserole the family will love. Simple steps, tons of flavor, and no need for canned soups!
We often have turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas, which means leftover turkey that needs to be used up. But you don’t have to just keep warming up leftovers. You can turn them into yummy new meals like turkey shepherd’s pie, turkey salad, turkey and stuffing casserole, or a simple turkey pasta bake.
But one of my favorites is turkey noodle casserole, it’s such an easy dinner recipe. Loaded with turkey, vegetables, and noodles in a creamy sauce, it’s the perfect comfort food.
This recipe is so easy to make, using mostly holiday leftovers and pantry staples. Plus, it uses no cream of soup. The creamy sauce is made from gravy, sour cream, and cheese.
Everything is mixed in one pot and then baked in a casserole dish to make cleanup quick and easy.
Ingredient Notes
Turkey: You can use white meat, dark meat, or a mixture of whatever you have on hand.
Vegetables: I use frozen mixed vegetables in this recipe because I always have them on hand. A mix of corn, carrots, and peas or green beans works great.
You can also use vegetables leftover from holiday dinner. It’s a great way to use them up.
If you prefer, fresh vegetables will also work. They just take a little longer to prep and cook.
Noodles: I like to use egg noodles they are perfect for this casserole. But if you prefer, you could use macaroni or spiral pasta.
Sour cream: Sour cream helps to make the sauce thick and creamy.
Gravy: Use up leftover gravy from your Thanksgiving dinner, use your favorite canned gravy, or better yet, make fresh turkey gravy from scratch.
Cheese: Parmesan and mozzarella cheese are used to make a flavorful sauce and topping.
Seasonings: Simple seasonings like thyme, salt, and pepper are used to complement the flavors in the gravy and other ingredients.
How To Make Turkey Noodle Casserole
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your noodles according to the package directions. When done, drain your pasta and place the egg noodles back to the pot.
While your noodles are cooking, thaw and warm the frozen vegetables in hot water. If you’re in a hurry, the microwave will do the job quickly.
Then, to the cooked noodles, add your cooked turkey, vegetables, gravy, sour cream, thyme, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and one cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Stir the mixture until everything is well combined.
Spoon the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly.
Then sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes until it’s heated through and the cheese has melted.
What To Serve With Turkey Noodle Casserole
- Garlic bread
- Biscuits
- Green salad
- Cranberry sauce
- Coleslaw
How To Store
If you have leftover turkey noodle casserole, it’s really easy to save for later. Wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer the leftovers into an airtight container. Keep it in your fridge for up to 4 days.
How To Freeze
To freeze the casserole uncooked, spread the filling mixture into a freezer-safe baking pan. Let it cool completely, and then add the shredded cheese to the top. Wrap it well in layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place it in your freezer.
When you’re ready to bake it, thaw it in the fridge overnight, and then bake until it’s heated through.
To freeze leftover cooked turkey casserole, let it cool to room temperature. Then, package in serving-size airtight containers. When ready to use, thaw and warm it in the microwave or oven until hot.
Turkey Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups uncooked egg noodles (8 oz)
- 3 cups cooked chopped turkey
- 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables thawed and warmed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups gravy
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
- Thaw and warm the frozen vegetables by boiling or microwaving them and set aside.
- Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain and place noodles back into the pot.
- To the noodles, add the cooked turkey, vegetables, gravy, sour cream, thyme, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella and stir until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
The best turkey casserole I’ve even made. Low WW points too!
This recipe doesn’t say when to put the turkey in. I just put it with the noodle mixture!
Sorry! I fixed that, yes it goes in with all the other ingredients in the noodle mixture.