About the Recipe
A holiday roast turkey is no joke. Even when we're serving a big crowd, after Thanksgiving is all said and done, we usually end up with way more turkey leftovers than any Thanksgiving sandwich can handle. What better way to transform the main bird than by adding it to a delicious, comforting casserole?
Ingredients
2/3 c. panko
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, divided
6 tbsp. butter, divided, plus more for pan
Kosher salt
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 1/4 c. sliced cremini mushrooms
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
4 c. low-sodium chicken stock
2 c. shredded cheddar
3 c. cubed cooked turkey
8 oz. egg noodles, cooked
1 c. frozen peas
3 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
In this recipe, we paired our cooked turkey with veggies, hearty egg noodles, plenty of cheese, and irresistibly buttery, crumbly bread crumbs for a comfort food dish that is a perfect post-Thanksgiving meal, but satisfying all year long.
Like most casseroles, this turkey version is super customizable—feel free to add your own touch and make it your own! Read on down below for all of our tips on how to make it just right:
Variations:
We love this dish as is, but feel free to experiment and make this dish your own—this is all about using up those leftovers. Have some extra veggies you'd like to throw in? Carrots, celery, or corn would all make great additions. Not feeling the cheese? Switch out the Parm and cheddar for your favorite variations (or, add even more to make this a triple-cheese bake). Not feeling turkey? We love making this casserole to use up all of our leftover turkey, but you can also swap it out with ground turkey or shredded chicken if you don’t have any on hand.
Can I make this ahead of time?
We love to make casseroles ahead of time to make weeknight dinners a breeze—this dish is no exception. Simply prep the entire casserole—leaving off the buttered bread crumbs until you're about to place in the oven—before covering and placing in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake!
How to store turkey casserole:
If this casserole isn't absolutely devoured after serving, any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container (or cover your casserole container in storage wrap) in the fridge for up to three days. Simply reheat in the microwave, or put your casserole dish back in the oven when you're ready to eat again.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium bowl, combine panko with 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt.
Step 2
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add onion and mushrooms and season with salt. Cook, stirring until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Pour stock into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and remaining ½ cup Parmesan until melted.
Step 4
Add turkey, noodles, peas, parsley, and lemon juice to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
Brush a 9"-x-13" baking dish with butter and scrape the turkey casserole mixture into the dish. Top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Step 6
Top with more parsley before serving.