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golden baked turkey pasta casserole in a small baking dish close up.
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4.67 from 6 votes

Leftover Turkey Pasta Casserole

This scrumptious turkey pasta casserole, with its creamy white sauce and cheesy goodness, will win over your family's taste buds.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Pasta and Rice
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 446kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Casserole dish of about 10x8 inches/ 25x20 cm.
  • Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 9 oz pasta 250 g, Note 1
  • 2 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1 medium onion about 100 g/ 3.5 oz
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk 250 ml
  • 1 ½ cup Cheddar or Gouda, grated, 150 g, Note 2
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • a few gratings of nutmeg
  • 1 ¼ cup leftover turkey chopped, 150 g/ 3.5 oz, Note 3
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Lightly grease the baking dish.
  • Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Let drain well.
    9 oz pasta / 250 g
  • Sauté: In the meantime, halve and slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in the saucepan. Cook the onion slices for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Add the finely chopped garlic and stir for another minute. Remove to a bowl or small plate.
    1 tablespoon butter + 1 medium onion + 1 large garlic clove
  • White sauce: Melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir it for one minute. Slowly start adding the milk while whisking all the time to avoid clumps. Let the sauce bubble gently for about 2 minutes while stirring very often. Take it off the heat and stir in ¾ of the grated cheese, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
    1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour + 1 cup milk / 250 ml + ½ of the cheese (¾ cup/ 75 g) + 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard + a few gratings of nutmeg +1 teaspoon fine sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
  • Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks to the sauce and stir very well to incorporate. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the sauce.
    2 eggs
  • Assemble: Place the cooked pasta and the chopped meat into the prepared casserole dish and mix them well. Pour the sauce over the noodles into the casserole dish and mix again. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
    pasta + 1 ¼ cup leftover turkey / 150 g + sauce + remaining cheese (¾ cup/ 75 g)
  • Bake for about 20 minutes until heated through and golden.
  • Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  1. Pasta: Feel free to choose any pasta you have on hand. For spaghetti, consider breaking them in half for shorter pieces.
  2. Cheese: I use Gouda or Cheddar most of the time, but any kind of strong-tasting cheese you like is ok. Mozzarella should only be used in combination with a stronger-tasting cheese like Parmesan.
  3. Meat: You can use leftover turkey but also leftover chicken, or you can cook a small chicken breast. The recipe also works well with cooked ham or pork roast leftovers. I usually use around 1 ¼ cup/ 150 g of chopped meat, but a bit more or less is perfectly fine.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 1025mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g