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Home / Recipes / Dinner / Casseroles / Turkey Noodle Casserole

Turkey Noodle Casserole

45 mins
| 3 Comments |
4.73 from 22 votes
Jump to Recipe 11/27/20 | Updated: 11/27/20 | by Nora
Turkey Noodle Casserole Pin 1

Try this easy casserole to make the most of your leftover turkey – it’s quick to put together with a few simple pantry staples, plus frozen vegetables.

close up photo of a white casserole dish with turkey noodle casserole

This is what happens with leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey at my house – a noodle casserole! It‘s an old-fashioned classic your grandma probably used to make.

I have revamped the traditional recipe so it doesn‘t use any condensed cream soups (I don‘t think there‘s anything inherently wrong with them, they just… creep me out for some reason, ahem). Don’t worry, it’s still absolutely easy and post-holiday tiredness friendly.

It starts with a homemade creamy sauce and includes plenty of no-chopping-needed frozen vegetables (see? Easy!), leftover turkey meat and oodles of egg noodles. Sprinkle with cheese and finish in the oven for a wonderful way to enjoy those leftovers. If you don’t have any leftover turkey, it’s delicious with shredded rotisserie chicken, too.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for turkey noodle casserole with text labels
Ingredients for a Turkey Noodle Casserole: Butter, flour, chicken broth, half & half (OR milk), onion & garlic powder, salt & pepper, dried thyme, frozen mixed vegetables, cream cheese, cooked turkey, cooked noodles and shredded cheese.

Ingredient notes

  • Half-and-half, milk, cream… – I like this most with half-and-half, because the chances of it splitting are much smaller than with milk, and it’s not as heavy as cream (and I’m usually not too hungry after big holiday meals 😉 ). If you’re going with regular milk, whole milk works best (other varieties work OK, just make sure you let the milk come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before using, and don’t boil too hot or the sauce could split). Another alternative would be evaporated milk.
  • Garlic/onion powder: I usually choose to make this very, very easy. Hence the dried onion/garlic vs chopping fresh. If you feel very strongly about this, please feel free to sauté a chopped onion and some minced garlic in the butter before adding the flour.
  • Turkey: Perfect for leftover turkey, but this recipe also works great with rotisserie chicken. If you have neither and want 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.
  • Frozen vegetables: I used a pretty standard frozen mix called “vegetable medley”. It’s with corn, carrots, peas and green beans. I’ve also used California Blend before, which is delicious as long as the cauliflower chunks aren’t too big.
  • Cream cheese: I like using some cream cheese in a lot of my from-scratch creamy pasta/noodle recipes. Kind of as a replacement for Veelveta, ya know? If you’re not a big fan of cream cheese, you can try adding shredded mozzarella to the sauce instead.
  • Noodles: I like wide egg noodles best here. But you could also do bowties, spirals or macaroni. I would steer clear from large tubular shapes (rigatoni etc), because the turkey and vegetables pieces tend to hide inside and it’s just not the same.

How to make a Turkey Noodle Casserole

Are you ready for the most homey use of your leftover holiday turkey? It’s so easy to make:

You start by melting butter, then add flour (1) until creamy and frothy (2). Now add the chicken broth and milk (3) and simmer until the sauce has thickened (4).

steps to show making a béchamel sauce

Next, add all the seasoning to the sauce (5). Stir in the frozen vegetables and the cream cheese (6) until the cream cheese has fully melted into the sauce (7).

Finally, add the turkey and the cooked noodles and combine until everything is smothered in sauce (8).

collage of photos to show preparing turkey and noodles

Place the noodle mixture in a greased casserole dish (9) and cover with cheese (10).

collage of photos to show assembly of a turkey and noodle bake

Now just bake in the hot oven until the cheese is golden and the casserole is bubbly. Such comfort food!

overhead view of white casserole dish on light surface

Recipe tips

  • Roux: Cooking butter and flour together for a sauce is called making a “roux” (fancy French phrase for you right there).  Since you’re making a light cream sauce (and not a dark gravy), pay attention to only lightly cook the two together, so they don’t brown. And please stick to the medium heat – if the flour turns black, your sauce will obviously not turn out.The second tricky bit is to make sure it doesn’t get lumpy. For that, make sure to whisk the broth and milk right as you put them into the pan, and keep whisking until the sauce has thickened.
  • Cook the noodles just right: Don’t overcook the noodles, they will continue cooking as the casserole bakes. If you want to keep them from getting soggy even further, toss them with ½ tablespoon of butter before adding them to the sauce – the layer of fat will help to keep some of the moisture away.
scoop of turkey noodle casserole on a wooden spoon

Freezer instructions

I KNOW. It’s a leftover recipe. But what if you’re actually here because you’re looking for a make-ahead freezer meal (or you don’t want to throw out your leftovers, but you also don’t want to eat them right now?). See, good information to have.

You can freeze this casserole for up to 3 months.

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 (freeze for up to 3 months) before placing in the freezer.

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.

More leftover turkey recipes

  • 30 Minute Stovetop Turkey Tetrazzini
  • Easy Turkey Pot Pie
  • Turkey Ramen Bowls
  • Instant Pot Turkey and Rice Soup

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

Printable Recipe Card
overhead view of white casserole dish with turkey noodles
Save Recipe Saved!

Leftover Turkey Noodle Casserole

Try this easy casserole to make the most of your leftover turkey – it's quick to put together with a few simple pantry staples, plus frozen vegetables.
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.73 from 22 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 15 mins
Cook 30 mins
Total 45 mins
Servings 8 Servings
Difficulty Easy

Equipment

  • Large Skillet
  • 9×13 inch Baking Dish

Ingredients
 

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup half and half OR whole milk OR heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder or less, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 16 oz frozen vegetable medley
  • ¼ cup cream cheese
  • 3 cups cooked and diced turkey meat or use cooked chicken/rotisserie chicken
  • 1 pound egg noodles cooked according to package directions
  • 1 cup shredded cheese I used a mix of sharp cheddar (for flavor) and mozzarella (for meltiness)

Instructions
 

  • Prep: Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a deep 9×13 inch casserole dish.
  • Make sauce: Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the chicken broth and half-and-half and keep whisking over medium heat until thickened. Add all seasoning, then stir in the turkey meat, frozen vegetables and cream cheese. Stir in the noodles until evenly coated.
  • Assemble: Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Top with the cheese, then bake uncovered in the hot oven for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese has melted and casserole is bubbly.
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Notes

Ingredient notes:
Half-and-half, milk, cream…  If you’re going with regular milk, whole milk works best (other varieties work OK, just make sure you let the milk come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before using, and don’t boil too hot or the sauce could split). Another alternative would be evaporated milk.
Garlic/onion powder: A fresh onion and clove of garlic can be used in place of the dried powder.
Turkey: Perfect for leftover turkey, but this recipe also works great with rotisserie chicken. If you have neither and want 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.
Frozen vegetables: I used a pretty standard frozen mix called “vegetable medley”. It’s with corn, carrots, peas and green beans. I’ve also used California Blend before, which is delicious as long as the cauliflower chunks aren’t too big.
Cream cheese: If you’re not a big fan of cream cheese, you can try adding shredded mozzarella to the sauce instead.
Noodles: I like wide egg noodles best here. But you could also do bowties, spirals or macaroni. I would steer clear from large tubular shapes (rigatoni etc), because the turkey and vegetables pieces tend to hide inside and it’s just not the same.
Cooking tips
Roux (flour/butter): Since you’re making a light cream sauce (and not a dark gravy), make sure the flour only cooks lightly and doesn’t brown. And please stick to the medium heat – if the flour turns black, your sauce will obviously not turn out.
The second tricky bit is to make sure it doesn’t get lumpy. For that, make sure to whisk the broth and milk right as you put them into the pan, and keep whisking until the sauce has thickened.
Noodles: Don’t overcook the noodles, they will continue cooking as the casserole bakes. Toss them with ½ tablespoon butter if you want to help keep them from turning mushy in the casserole.
Freezer Instructions:
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 (freeze for up to 3 months) before placing in the freezer.
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 486kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 27gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 544mgPotassium: 507mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3398IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 157mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Nancy Stillwell says

    December 15, 2021 at 6:34 pm

    4 stars
    Great Way to Enjoy Turkey Leftovers! I used Cajun seasoning in the white sauce and a bit more cream cheese but otherwise followed the recipe. It makes a lot! I turned it into two medium-sized casseroles and froze one for later.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      December 16, 2021 at 2:09 pm

      I’m so glad, Nancy!

      Reply
  2. Michelle Cannon says

    December 01, 2019 at 3:25 am

    This sounds really good!

    Reply

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Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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