Turkey Noodle Casserole

The next leftover turkey recipe – turkey noodle casserole. This is another fantastic freezer meal, which is what I did. The picture above only shows cheese on half of the casserole, but don’t worry, I covered the rest after I took the picture!

This is a rich, saucy dish that comes together quickly. Feel free to toss in any leftover vegetables or pasta you may have on hand.

I cooked up a 12-ounce package of multi-color fusilli to just before al dente. I mixed it with a 16-ounce package of frozen cubed kabocha squash and about a pound of shredded turkey.

Next comes the sauce. I used my cauliflower alfredo sauce as the base (omitting the nutritional yeast and lemon juice and swapping the almond milk for turkey stock) and added about a teaspoon of rubbed sage and lots of black pepper. I added a little extra turkey stock to thin out the sauce a little more to fully coat everything. Everything got tossed together, poured into a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish (I used a slightly smaller disposable one to be freezer-safe), and topped with a thin layer of shredded gruyere cheese.

At this point, I wrapped the baking dish up well in foil and placed it in the freezer for one of those late or lazy nights.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. If cooking right away, bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is browned, about 15 – 20 minutes. If cooking from frozen, bake covered for about 45 – 55 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is brown, another 15 – 20 minutes. These times will vary depending on how deep your baking dish is, especially if baking from frozen.

Let the casserole rest for 5 – 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. Then dig in and enjoy!