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thanksgiving leftover turkey lasagna, close up on a small pale blue plate.
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4.60 from 10 votes

Leftover Turkey Lasagna (Thanksgiving Lasagna)

Make our delicious Thanksgiving lasagna with leftover turkey, vegetables, and a light cream cheese and cottage cheese white sauce.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Pasta and Rice
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 611kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Rectangular casserole dish (about 12x8 inches/ 30x20 cm)
  • Large saucepan
  • Bowl

Ingredients

Turkey sauce:

  • 3 cups leftover turkey 375 g/ 13 oz, Note 1
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 carrots medium to large
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • cup water 75 ml
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 lb pizza or tomato sauce 450 g, Note 2

White sauce:

  • 1 cup cottage cheese 225 g/ 8 oz, Note 3
  • cup cream cheese 150 g/ 5.5 oz
  • cup sour cream 150 g/ 5.5 oz
  • ½ cup milk 125 ml

Assemble lasagna:

  • 9 lasagna sheets no boil, oven ready Note 4
  • cup Cheddar or Gouda, 150 g/ 5.5 oz
  • ¼ cup Parmesan freshly grated, 30 g/ 1 oz

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C.

Prepare ingredients:

  • Chop the cooked turkey into very small pieces (Note 1). Slice the onion into thin half rings. Chop the garlic finely. Dice carrots and pepper.
    3 cups/ 375 g + 1 onion + 2 garlic cloves + 2 carrots + 1 large red bell pepper
  • Cook vegetables: Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion rings until translucent (about 2 minutes). Add garlic, carrots, and peppers and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes. Add water, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover, leaving a crack open, and cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until slightly softer.
    1 tablespoon olive oil + ⅓ cup water + 1 teaspoon oregano + pinch of cayenne pepper + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Add the sauce and the chopped turkey and stir for 2-3 minutes until they are hot. Stir in the cottage cheese.
    1 lb pizza or tomato sauce / 450 g
  • Whisk cream cheese, milk, and sour cream in a bowl.
    1 cup cottage cheese / 200 g + ⅔ cup cream cheese / 150 g + ⅔ cup sour cream / 150 g + ½ cup milk / 125 ml

Assemble turkey lasagna:

  • First layer: Place a few tablespoons of the tomato-vegetable-turkey sauce into the casserole dish. Arrange 3 lasagna sheets on top, cover with ⅓ of the cheese sauce, a sprinkle of the grated Gouda or Cheddar, and ⅓ of the tomato sauce.
    only 3 of 9 lasagna sheets + a sprinkle from a total of ⅔ cup Cheddar
  • Second layer: Add the following 3 lasagna sheets, ⅓ of the cheese sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and⅓ tomato sauce.
    only 3 of 9 lasagna sheets + a sprinkle from a total of ⅔ cup Cheddar
  • Third layer: Place the last 3 lasagna sheets on top and finish with the remaining cheese sauce, followed by the remaining tomato sauce. Spread the remaining grated cheese and the Parmesan on top.
    only 3 of 9 lasagna sheets + ¼ cup Parmesan
  • Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through.
  • Rest the lasagna for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  1. Turkey: I always prepare this Thanksgiving lasagna with leftover turkey. Alternatively, you can make it with fresh turkey, which requires a brief cooking step before incorporating it into the tomato sauce.
  2. Sauce: Pizza, marinara, and tomato sauce are all fine. If you don’t have any ready-made sauce, mix 1 lb/ 450 g sieved tomatoes/ passata with some dried herbs like oregano, thyme, basil (or Italian seasoning), a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
  3. Lasagna: I always use no-boil lasagna.
  4. Low-fat version: Use low-fat cottage cheese (0,2% fat), low-fat cream cheese (4% fat), low-fat milk (1.8% fat), and low-fat cheese.
  5. The nutrition is calculated considering the full-fat version of these products. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the dish | Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1006mg | Potassium: 795mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 5363IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 296mg | Iron: 3mg