Leftover Turkey Lasagna

Last Updated on 26/03/2020

A delicious and light leftover turkey lasagna with vegetables and a skinny cheese sauce, this is a great leftover turkey pasta recipe.

I used to make this cream cheese lasagna many years ago, using this delicious and healthy cream cheese and cottage cheese sauce.

During those times it was mostly vegetarian with lots of different veggies like carrots, peppers, broccoli and even kohlrabi once. But then, like with many recipes we love at one point or another, we kind of forgot about it.

Lasagna with leftover turkey and cream cheese

Recently, while perusing one of my first recipe notebooks I found the recipe again and thought it would be a great idea to make it again and this time to put some turkey into it as well.

With so many turkey roasts lately (have a look at this delicious Oven Roasted Turkey Breast or these Oven Roasted Turkey Drumsticks), I did find myself with lots of turkey leftovers in the fridge.

The Quick Fricassee with Leftover Turkey and the Vegetable Strudel with Turkey were wonderful, but more recipes were needed.

After several turkey sandwiches, which were all delicious but not particularly special and a couple of turkey salads, I was left with two more recipes I really wanted to try: a turkey pilaf with Brussels sprouts and this cream cheese leftover turkey lasagna. I cooked and photographed both dishes and we thoroughly enjoyed both of them, but in the end I decided to post the lasagna.

I really hope some of you out there will give this leftover turkey lasagna a try, it is really worth it! And unlike most lasagna recipes, it will really not leave you with a guilty conscience. After all the Thanksgiving or Christmas indulgence, I always find myself in need of some thoroughly healthy recipes and this lasagna fulfils this goal perfectly.

And best of all, you will not even be able to taste its being sooo healthy, it tastes just like a regular, calorie-loaded lasagna, maybe a tad sharper than your regular Bechamel sauce lasagna, but so delicious you will make it again and again.

And in case you are looking for a few more delicious lasagna recipes, have a look at these posts:

Light Yogurt Lasagna with Ground Beef and Tomato Sauce

Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna with Ground Turkey

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna with Ricotta and Cottage Cheese

Butternut Squash, Vegetables and Lentil Lasagna

Ingredients for leftover turkey lasagna

Turkey:

• I used leftover turkey to make this lasagna.
• If you don’t have leftovers, use fresh turkey strips which you will fry in 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Tomato sauce:

• I used homemade pizza sauce which I had in the freezer.
• That was basically 1 lbs pureed tomatoes mixed with salt and pepper, a pinch of sugar, dry oregano and dry basil.
• To make that mixture could not be easier or cheaper, but if you wish you can use any pizza or tomato pasta sauce brand you like.

Dairy:

• I used low fat cream cheese 4% fat, low-fat cottage cheese 0,2% fat, low-fat milk and sour cream 10% fat.
• You can use that or higher fat versions, that is definitely up to you, but if you have been looking for a low-fat, healthier lasagna, then you will probably be interested in using the low-fat products.

Lasagna sheets:

• No boil oven ready lasagna sheets
• Please read the lasagna packet’s instructions and use the lasagna sheets accordingly.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

MORE LEFTOVER TURKEY RECIPES

Vegetable Strudel with Leftover Turkey – you can cook another festive meal using leftover turkey.

Leftover Turkey Casserole – a comforting turkey pasta bake, a perfect meal for children.

Turkey Fricassee – our favorite way of using leftover turkey, this quick fricassee is creamy and comforting.

Leftover Turkey Lasagna

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

A delicious low-fat lasagna with leftover turkey, vegetables and a skinny cream cheese and cottage cheese white sauce.

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Ingredients

• 375 g/ 13 oz/ about 3 cups shredded leftover turkey (or fresh)
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 250 g/ 8.8 oz carrots (about 3 thick ones)
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 450 g/ 1 lbs pizza or tomato sauce of choice
• 200 g/ 7 oz/ scant 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (0,2% fat)
• 150 g/ 5.3 oz/ 2/3 cup low-fat cream cheese (4% fat)
• 150 g/ 5.3 oz/ 2/3 cup sour cream (10% fat)
• 100 ml/ 3.4 fl.oz/ about ½ cup low-fat milk
• 9 lasagna sheets, no boil, oven ready
• 50 g/ 1.8 oz/ ½ cup low-fat Gouda cheese
• 25 g/ 0.8 oz/ ¼ cup Parmesan
• fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

1. If you are using leftover turkey chop it into very small pieces. If you are using fresh turkey, chop it, season it with salt and pepper and fry it in 1 teaspoon olive oil until golden. Take out of the pan and set aside.
2. Slice the onion into thin half rings. Chop the garlic finely. Chop the carrots and the bell pepper into small cubes.
3. Heat one teaspoon olive oil in the pan, add the onion rings and cook shortly until translucent. Add the garlic and the carrots. Cook stirring often for about 2 minutes, add the peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. (I normally chop the peppers while the carrots are in the pan and add them as soon as I am finished chopping them).
4. Add about 75 ml/ 1/3 cup water, salt and pepper to taste and some dry oregano. Cover leaving a crack open and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until slightly softer.
5. Add the pizza or tomato sauce and reheat.
6. In the meantime preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the cream cheese, milk and sour cream. Set aside.
7. When the tomato sauce is warm, add the cottage cheese and the finely chopped turkey to the sauce and stir well.
8. Place a few tablespoons of the tomato-vegetable-turkey sauce into a rectangular casserole dish (about 30x20 cm/ 12x8 inches). Arrange 3 lasagna sheets on top, cover with 1/3 of the cheese sauce and 1/3 of the tomato sauce.
9. Add the following 3 lasagna sheets, 1/3 of the cheese sauce and 1/3 tomato sauce.
10. Place the last 3 lasagna sheets on top and finish with the remaining cheese sauce, followed by the remaining tomato sauce.
11. Spread the grated Gouda and Parmesan on top. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through.
    

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1/6 of the dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 1182mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 10gProtein: 32g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.