Easy Turkey Noodle Casserole is the best thing that can happen to leftover turkey: tender egg noodles and shredded turkey folded into a from-scratch sharp cheddar sauce with onion, carrot, celery and a spoonful of sour cream, then baked under more cheddar until bubbling. No canned soup, and only one pot plus the baking dish. It serves 8.
How to make it: Boil the egg noodles, then use the same pot to soften the vegetables, make a butter-and-flour sauce with milk, and melt in the cheddar. Stir in the noodles, turkey and sour cream, spread it in a 9×13-inch dish, top with cheese and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses up leftover turkey: four cups of it, in a dish the whole family will eat.
- Real cheese sauce: a creamy sharp cheddar sauce instead of a can of soup.
- One pot, one dish: the noodles, vegetables and sauce all share the same pot.
- Feeds a crowd: a full 9×13 pan, 8 servings.
Ingredient Notes
Egg noodles: Twelve ounces of dried egg noodles, cooked just to al dente. They finish softening in the oven.
Cooked turkey: Four cups, shredded, about a pound. Leftover roast turkey is perfect; white meat, dark meat or both. Cooked chicken works too.
Sharp cheddar: A pound, shredded: 3 cups for the sauce and 1 cup for the top. Shred it yourself from a block; it melts better and makes a smoother sauce.
Vegetables: A diced onion, a cup each of diced carrots and celery, and 4 cloves of garlic give the sauce a savory base.
Butter, flour and milk: Six tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of flour and 3 cups of whole or 2% milk make the sauce.
Sour cream and cayenne: A cup of sour cream adds tang and richness, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne adds a gentle warmth.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray, for the baking dish
- 12 ounces dried egg noodles
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup diced carrots (from 2 medium)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 stalks)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole or 2% milk
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 pound), divided
- 4 cups shredded cooked turkey (1 pound)
- 1 cup sour cream
- Hot sauce, for serving (optional)
How to Make Turkey Noodle Casserole
1. Heat the oven and cook the noodles. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot or Dutch oven of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside in the strainer.
2. Cook the vegetables. Melt the butter in the now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and sauté until the onion is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook 1 minute more.
3. Make the cheese sauce. Add the flour and stir until it is absorbed and the raw taste is cooked out, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk and cook, stirring often, until it comes to a simmer and starts to thicken, about 6 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, add 3 cups of the cheese and stir until melted.
4. Combine and fill the dish. Add the noodles, turkey and sour cream and gently stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and cayenne as needed. Transfer to the baking dish, spread into an even layer and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
5. Bake. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer, about 30 minutes.
6. Rest and serve. Set the dish on a wire rack and let it cool 5 minutes before serving. Pass hot sauce at the table if you like.
The Easiest Way to Make Turkey Noodle Casserole
The easiest route is the one-pot method above: boil the noodles, then build the whole sauce in the same pot. A few details make the difference between a creamy casserole and a dry or grainy one:
| Step | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cook the noodles only to al dente | They soak up sauce and soften more in the oven |
| Rinse them under cold water | It stops the cooking so they don’t turn mushy |
| Pour the milk in slowly | Adding the liquid a little at a time is what makes the sauce smooth and creamy |
| Add the cheese off the heat | It melts into the sauce instead of turning grainy |
| Check the center for 165°F | Bubbling edges don’t tell you the middle is hot |
Want the canned-soup shortcut? You can make turkey noodle casserole with cream of chicken soup. For a smaller 8×8-inch pan of 4 portions, whisk a 10.75-ounce can of cream of chicken soup with 1 1/2 cups of milk and a teaspoon each of dried sage and thyme, and use it in place of the cheese sauce with 6 ounces of noodles, 2 cups of turkey and 1 1/4 cups of peas. Those amounts are for the small pan, so don’t mix them into the recipe above.
Tips for Success
Handle leftover turkey safely
Refrigerate cooked turkey within 2 hours of the meal, cut into smaller pieces. USDA FSIS says it keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer, so plan the casserole within that window.
Season at the end
Taste the filling after the turkey and sour cream go in, and add more salt, pepper or cayenne before it goes into the dish.
Make it ahead
Assemble the casserole the night before, cover it tightly and refrigerate it. Add about 5 minutes to the baking time, and check that the center reaches 165°F.
Variations
- With chicken: use shredded cooked chicken in place of the turkey.
- With peas and corn: stir a cup each of frozen peas and frozen corn into the filling.
- Crunchy top: top with bread crumbs tossed in melted butter and a little cheddar instead of all cheese, and bake until golden.
- Herby: season the sauce with dried sage and thyme, or poultry seasoning and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Richer noodles: cook the noodles in chicken stock, or stock made from the turkey bones, instead of water.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days. You can freeze them for 3 to 4 months, but cream sauces don’t freeze well, so the sauce may separate when thawed. Thaw frozen casserole in the refrigerator.
Reheat portions covered until they reach 165°F. In the microwave, add a splash of milk, cover the dish, rotate it and check the temperature in several spots. Don’t reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
A crisp salad balances the creamy casserole: try a spinach salad with warm bacon dressing or a pan of roasted asparagus and carrots. No leftovers yet? Make a slow cooker turkey breast first. For more noodle bakes, try an old fashioned tuna casserole, a slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole or a cracker-topped chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to make a turkey noodle casserole?
Boil the noodles, then make the sauce in the same pot: soften the vegetables in butter, stir in flour and milk, melt in the cheddar, fold in the noodles, turkey and sour cream, and bake in a 9×13-inch dish.
Can you make turkey noodle casserole with cream of chicken soup?
Yes. For a smaller 8×8-inch pan, a 10.75-ounce can of cream of chicken soup whisked with 1 1/2 cups of milk and dried herbs replaces the cheese sauce.
Can I use chicken instead of turkey?
Yes. Use the same amount of shredded cooked chicken.
Do I cook the noodles first?
Yes. Boil them just to al dente, about 6 minutes, and rinse them under cold water. They finish cooking in the oven.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble it, cover and refrigerate overnight, then bake it about 5 minutes longer, until the center reaches 165°F.
Final Notes
Shred the turkey and the cheese while the noodle water comes to a boil, and the rest moves fast. If you make it, tell me in the comments how you used your leftover turkey.
Easy Turkey Noodle Casserole
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Ingredients
- cooking spray for the baking dish
- 12 ounces dried egg noodles
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion medium; diced
- 1 cup carrots diced (from 2 medium)
- 1 cup celery diced (from 3 stalks)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, plus more as needed
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk whole or 2%
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (1 pound), divided: 3 cups for the sauce and 1 cup for the top
- 4 cups cooked turkey shredded (1 pound); leftover turkey
- 1 cup sour cream
- hot sauce for serving; optional
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot or Dutch oven of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside in the strainer.
- Melt the butter in the now-empty pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and sauté until the onion is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cayenne and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the flour and stir until it is absorbed and the raw taste is cooked out, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk and cook, stirring often, until it comes to a simmer and starts to thicken, about 6 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, add 3 cups of the cheese and stir until melted.
- Add the noodles, turkey and sour cream and gently stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and cayenne as needed. Transfer to the baking dish, spread into an even layer and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer, about 30 minutes.
- Set the dish on a wire rack and let it cool 5 minutes before serving. Pass hot sauce at the table if you like.
