The relatives are gone, the mess is clean, and you’re sitting on the couch with just one question… what happens to the leftovers? Kyle’s here to save your Thanksgiving, and many days after.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked and diced turkey meat (or a cooked/rotisserie chicken)
- 1 pound egg noodles, cooked to package directions
- 1 cup shredded cheese (combine 1/2 cup cheddar and ½ cup mozzarella)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half&half, milk, or heavy cream
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 16 oz frozen mixed vegetables
- ¼ cup cream cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter, then add flour until creamy and frothy. Add the chicken broth and milk and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
- Next, add all the seasoning to the sauce. Stir in the frozen vegetables and the cream cheese until the cream cheese has fully melted into the sauce.
- Add the turkey and the cooked noodles and combine until everything is smothered in sauce
- Place the noodle mixture in a greased
- casserole dish and cover with cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is golden and the casserole is bubbly.
Recipe tips
- Garlic/onion powder: The powders are the quickest, but a sautéed chopped onion or minced garlic are ideal.
- Turkey: This recipe is perfect for leftover turkey, but also works great with rotisserie chicken. To use fresh: Dice 1 pound raw chicken or turkey breast and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat in ½ tablespoon oil for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned and almost done inside. Remove and set aside, then proceed with the recipe as written.
- This recipe uses wide egg noodles but other shapes work too. Steer clear of large tubular shapes (rigatoni etc), because the turkey and vegetables pieces tend to hide inside and it’s just not the same.
- Cooking butter and flour together for a sauce is called making a “roux”. Since you’re making a light cream sauce (and not a dark gravy), only lightly cook the two together so they don’t brown. Use medium heat – if the flour turns black, your sauce will obviously not turn out. To keep it from getting lumpy, whisk the broth and milk together as you put them into the pan and keep whisking until the sauce has thickened.
- To make frozen version- Assemble the full casserole right up to the final baking step, let it cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then cover tightly first with cling film and then with aluminum foil. Label with the name and use-by date before placing in the freezer. (Casserole can be used up to 3 months after freezing).
- To heat from frozen: Remove the casserole from the freezer and unwrap. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
(Original recipe from Nora at SavoryNothings.com)
Prep time- 15 min Cook time- 30 min Total- 45min Makes 8 servings
