Left over turkey? Try this flavor-filled casserole

We hosted MT’s family for Thanksgiving, complete with tall candles shaped like shucked corn on the cob and tea candles in a grain-harvest sort of holder we bought years ago in Wellsboro (MT’s favorite place to visit). In the end, four people helped do the cooking (MT, her mom, her sister and me), and it was a huge success. It was also, as usual, a huge array of leftovers.

I trimmed the white meat from the carcass that evening and looked for a new recipe to use it. I’ve done that before, making turkey tetrazzini in 2020 from a Thanksgiving bird and turkey divan in 2021 from a lot of leftover Christmas time turkey. Truth is, those two and this recipe all share similarities because all three are made in a casserole dish, but there are substantial differences in flavorings. This one was a bit mellower — and maybe a tad sweeter — than the other two.

I liked it a lot, as did MT and her mom when I made it the day after Turkey day. But it did double duty, as there was plenty to take to my sister’s house in New Jersey on Saturday to warm up and serve along with some left over pumpkin soup and roasted yams I cooked and an impressive cranberry sauce MT’s sister had brought to Wilkes-Barre from West Chester.

It may have been all leftovers, but it all went over well. By the time the six of us finished, all but a bit of the casserole was gone — which I finished that evening. That meant only one remnant of the Thursday feast remained by Sunday: The soup MT made from the trimmed carcass.

The only note worth mentioning: I skipped the parsley, and as usual used a good bit of extra Parmesan.

It’s worth mentioning — as regular readers may know — this was my first Thanksgiving without my mom, who passed away in April. I’ve said many times that I was blessed when MT agreed to marry me, not only by her presence, but by having her dad as part of my life just months after my own father had died (my dad died in 2000; Bill died in 2018), and by having her mother now.

Love you, Nanner!

Dobru Chut!

Turkey Casserole (delish.com/Makinze Gore)

⅔ cup panko bread crumbs

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided

6 tablespoons butter, divided, plus more for pan

Kosher salt

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1¼ cup sliced cremini mushrooms

¼ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 cups shredded cheddar

3 cups cubed cooked turkey

8 ounces egg noodles, cooked

1 cup frozen peas

3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425°.

In a medium bowl, combine panko with 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add onion and mushrooms and season with salt. Cook, stirring until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Pour stock into saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and remaining ½ cup Parmesan until melted.

Add turkey, noodles, peas, parsley, and lemon juice to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper.

Brush a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter and scrape turkey casserole mixture into dish. Top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Top with more parsley before serving.