Leftovers Recipe: Turkey Noodle Casserole
If you are looking for something delicious for your turkey leftovers, yet simple and easy to throw together, this is your recipe. Its nothing fancy, but I guarantee you there wont be a single bite left. But then theres always next year.
If you are looking for something delicious for your turkey leftovers, yet simple and easy to throw together, this is your recipe. Its nothing fancy, but I guarantee you there wont be a single bite left. But then theres always next year.
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces dried egg noodles
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion (about 1 small onion)
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar divided
- 2 cups cooked shredded turkey
- Carbohydrate 34.5438809883913 g
- Cholesterol 120.750840884181 mg
- Fat 30.7783146880333 g
- Fiber 1.78275816442299 g
- Protein 22.4772870468929 g
- Saturated Fat 18.754276332416 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (207g)
- Sodium 828.114908176612 mg
- Sugar 32.7611228239683 g
- Trans Fat 2.00759177882395 g
- Calories 504 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté until tender and softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Whisk in the flour and stir until it is absorbed (and the "raw" taste cooked out), about 1 - 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened (about 3 minutes). Add 2 cups shredded cheese, remove from heat and stir until melted. Add the cayenne and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cheese sauce, shredded turkey, and sour cream to the noodles. Season generously with cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Grease an 8 x 11-inch baking dish (or similar size) casserole dish. Pour noodle mixture into baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake until casserole is warm and cheese is bubbling, about 25 minutes.
A bubbling crust of sharp cheddar encases tender egg noodles and shredded poultry, sending up sharp plumes of dairy and pepper steam from an 8x11-inch baking dish. Mid-century American casserole culture relied heavily on convenience products, yet this scratch-made variation discards canned soups in favor of a genuine roux. Transforming post-holiday proteins requires respecting basic emulsion principles so that dairy products do not break under high heat.
Mastering the Mornay Base
Cooking the flour and butter for precisely two minutes eliminates raw starch flavors before cold milk enters the hot skillet. Whisking continuously prevents curdling as the temperature climbs toward a simmer. Cheddar cheese contains high amounts of moisture and fat; adding it off the heat ensures the proteins do not seize into rubbery clumps. Stirring sour cream directly into the pasta along with the cheese sauce introduces lactic acid, which cuts through the richness of the heavy dairy components.
- Cook dried egg noodles strictly to al dente at six minutes to prevent total disintegration during the twenty-five minutes of oven baking.
- Shred the sharp cheddar from a block rather than buying pre-bagged varieties coated in cellulose anti-caking agents that hinder smooth melting.
- Maintain medium heat when sweating onions, carrots, and celery to soften fibers without browning the exterior surfaces.
