When Thanksgiving comes to an end, your freezer will most likely be loaded with enough turkey to last you another month or two. There are myriad ways to incorporate it into your meals — e.g., sandwiches, soups, omelets, etc. — but who really wants to cook every night after you spent days prepping for the holiday? Throw your leftover turkey into one of these yummy casseroles for an easy meal that will last you days.
1. Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Yes, we’re aware this says “chicken and wild rice casserole.” But since it calls for cooked chicken breasts, it’s easy enough to swap in your cooked turkey. This recipe from Picky Palate tops turkey, fresh veggies and wild rice with a cheesy sauce for a perfect, home-cooked, hearty meal you’ll be excited to come home to.
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2. Mushroom and Turkey Casserole
After doing all those dishes on Thanksgiving Day, you’ll be happy to have a one-dish wonder recipe to use up your turkey. In addition to using your leftover turkey, this Cooking Light recipe also incorporates your leftover cranberry sauce!
3. Turkey Tetrazzini
This creamy turkey tetrazzini recipe from Prevention is comfort food at its finest! And yet it still manages to keep the calorie count down to 431 with 11.2 grams of fat. In addition to your leftover turkey, you’ll need spaghetti, mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper, milk, kalamata olives and Parmesan cheese.
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4. Turkey Chow Mein Casserole
With only 10 minutes of prep time, you’ll be able to whip up this delicious casserole from Foodess without interfering with your relaxation time over Thanksgiving break. A satisfying combination of creamy and crunchy, this dish combines chow mein noodles with turkey, bean sprouts, celery, onion, milk and chicken broth.
5. Turkey Enchilada Casserole
Keep your weekly Mexican night while still using up your leftover turkey with this casserole from MyRecipes. It calls for ground turkey breast, but you can easily swap it with shredded turkey from the holiday. All the cheesy goodness at only 249 calories and 5.7 grams of fat!
6. Lightened-up Chicken Divan
Chicken or turkey divan is a classic among casseroles. Skinnytaste lightened up the traditional dish in this variation that calls for cooked chicken (again: just use your turkey). At only 335.7 calories per serving, you can afford to indulge in this creamy turkey and broccoli and topped with crispy breadcrumbs.
7. Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
Mix your leftover turkey with lots of fresh veggies and top the whole thing with a savory puff pastry and you’ve got this turkey pot pie recipe from One Hungry Mama. Shockingly, this dish requires zero canned foods.
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8. Cheesy Turkey, Mushroom & Rice Casserole
Once again, you’d think this tasty recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen requires cream-of-chicken or cream-of-mushroom soup, but nope! No canned soups here! This casserole is packed with healthy brown rice, fresh mushrooms, leftover turkey, turkey stock, sour cream, low-fat cheese and Parmesan.
9. Veggie Turkey Casserole
If you’re just looking for an easy fix that will somehow get your kids to eat vegetables, this veggie turkey casserole might be your go-to recipe. You just mix all of the ingredients — cooked turkey, frozen mixed veggies, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, chopped onion, garlic powder and celery seed — in a baking dish and pop it in the oven.
10. French Onion Turkey Casserole
This recipe from AOL requires only eight easy ingredients (including Campbell’s condensed French onion soup) and is basically the equivalent of a classic French onion soup in casserole form — cheesy, onion-y and topped with warm, toasty bread. We recommend opting for whole-wheat bread instead of white.
11. Artichoke Turkey Casserole
For all the artichoke lovers out there, try this artichoke-turkey casserole from Better Homes and Gardens for a quick (20-minute prep) meal with only 248 calories and 11 grams of fat. This satisfying dish combines the healthy — fresh carrots, red sweet peppers and artichokes — with the comforting (read: cheese and bacon).
12. Tomato-Basil Turkey Casserole
We didn’t even know until today that Pillsbury had such yummy recipes on Flickr. And they’re not loaded with bad-for-you ingredients either! This tomato-basil turkey casserole uses gemelli pasta, cooked turkey, tomato sauce, zucchini, olives, basil and Parmesan.
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13. Curried Turkey & Rice Casserole
If you’re looking to add a little spice to your turkey, try this curried turkey and rice casserole from Whole Foods Market. It uses a brown and wild rice blend, plus turkey, curry powder, wheat bread, carrots, hazelnuts, raisins and more.
14. Spanish Rice Turkey Casserole
This Southwestern-style recipe from Taste of Home is a little higher in fat than the rest (16 grams of fat per serving), but you can cut back on it by using reduced-fat sour cream and reduced-fat cheese. The dish combines everything you enjoy in a Chipotle bowl: rice, tomatoes, meat (i.e., your leftover turkey), corn, sour cream and cheese, plus some green chilies for a kick.
15. Turkey Egg Breakfast Casserole
You can even get your turkey fix in the morning! This breakfast casserole from The Chic Life combines turkey, kale and eggs with the perfect blend of spices — rosemary, sage and thyme — and of course includes gouda for some cheesy goodness.
16. Turkey Chilaquiles Casserole
For a casserole with a kick, try this turkey chilaquiles dish from Love With Food. The spice from the green chiles, poblano chiles and jalapenos is balanced with layers of Mexican cheese. Crushed tortilla chips are added for a nice crunch.
17. Turkey Gumbo Casserole
Give your leftover Thanksgiving turkey some N’Orleans flair with this recipe from Taste of the South magazine, which creates a casserole version of the classic Louisiana soup. It yields 12 to 16 servings, so you’ll have plenty to spare you a few days of cooking.
18. Turkey Noodle Casserole
We’ll be honest: This recipe from Simply Recipes probably isn’t going to do your diet any favors, but it makes for one unbelievably good casserole. Among the ingredients: egg noodles, shallots, celery, milk and cream (for creamy goodness), turkey, Gruyere cheese, Panko breadcrumbs and more.