Thanksgiving day is around the corner, and turkey meat is being sold almost everywhere in the world very quickly. People gather around with their family members to say special prayers and give thanks to the harvest season. With a large number of people gathering around, you have to make a lot of turkey dishes and even keep a whole turkey roast on the table as well. Almost every time you end up with some leftover turkey meat and try to figure out what to do with it.
The leftover turkey casserole recipe is what you can try making being a perfect way of using the extra meat. This article will help you to make an easy turkey casserole with simple steps and ingredients to follow.
What is Turkey Casserole?
Leftover turkey meat, stuffed with cream and cheese and topped with vegetables, a turkey casserole is an easy-to-make recipe and the best way to use up all the leftover ingredients from thanksgiving day. This is why its a great thanksgiving recipe. The dish is also topped with bread crumbs which make the taste even more delicious. Turkey casserole can last you up to days and even months. If you store it in the refrigerator, it will remain fresh for up to 4 to 5 days and if you freeze it, it will last for up to 3 months. Hence you can make a lot of use of it afterward.
Types of Turkey Casseroles:
- Creamy Turkey Casserole:
A creamy turkey casserole is made with creamy sauce, vegetables, and leftover ground turkey. You can use a creamy mushroom sauce or any other but a mushroom sauce is recommended.
- Turkey Casserole with Rice:
You can serve turkey casserole with rice. All the ingredients are the same but include rice if you are not fond of eating pasta.
- Turkey Casserole with Pasta:
The turkey casserole with pasta is the king of all turkey casserole recipes. Almost every casserole is made up using pasta. You can use any shape of it though, it’s your choice. You can also make a turkey casserole with egg noodles. Anyway, this recipe is also easy to make and delicious to eat like all the other casserole recipes.
The Recipe:
The recipe is very simple and does not require any extra steps to make it. The total time to get this dish ready is almost 1 hour, which can be more or less. The preparation time required for preparing the ingredients is 20 minutes and the time taken for cooking is almost 50 minutes. Here are the ingredients and steps to make the turkey casserole.
- Ingredients:
- 3 or 4 cups of pasta, uncooked ( the amount can vary depending upon the serving)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 ½ cups of milk
- 10 ounces of cream of chicken soup
- ½ teaspoon of basil, dried
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of Turkish cheese
- 3 cups of turkey, grounded and cooked
You can always alter the recipe by replacing pasta with rice or egg noodles.
Steps and Instructions:
- Preheat the oven up to 350C. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients and place them on one side.
- Cook the pasta as the packet instructions tell you.
- Now cook mushroom, garlic, and onion in butter for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Take a large bowl and mix milk, seasonings, mushroom mixture, soup, and cheese together (use half of the cheese only). Now put the cooked pasta and turkey in the bowl and mix them all up a little. Use the mixing spoon to avoid mashing the pasta and turkey.
- Now in a dish and spread the whole mixture in it. Top it with the leftover cheese and other toppings.
- Put the dish in the oven and leave it there to be baked for at least half an hour.
- All done! You are ready to serve the turkey casserole.
Serve the dish with some delicious sauces to make it more appetizing. You can also put potato wedges and salad with it as a starter before the meal.
