Aunt Bee’s easy leftover turkey casserole with noodles and cream of mushroom soup is a quick, comforting meal that takes advantage of the extra meat from your holiday feast — with just 15 minutes of prep!
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If you’re looking for even more cozy casserole recipes, try this dump-and-bake meatball casserole, a dump-and-bake turkey and stuffing casserole, and this old-fashioned chicken and rice casserole, too!
Made this casserole after thanksgiving and loved it. Just made it with chicken for tonight. I’m sure it will be just as as yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
– Judy
How to Make Turkey Noodle Casserole | 1-Minute Video
What to Know Before You Make this Simple Leftover Turkey Casserole
- I use rotini pasta here, but any similar short shape will work. Try penne, rotelle, medium shells, or elbows.
- If you don’t have Thanksgiving leftovers to use in this casserole, you can substitute with cooked chicken instead.
- Feel free to swap out the frozen peas and use other veggies that your family enjoys. For instance, try broccoli florets, frozen mixed vegetables, or cut green beans. See the Recipe Variations section at the bottom of the post for other possible substitutions. This is a highly customizable casserole that works well with your family’s favorite ingredients, herbs, spices, and whatever you have stashed in your pantry or fridge!
How to Make Leftover Turkey Casserole
This leftover turkey casserole really is so easy. If you can boil pasta, you’re good to go! You’ll find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water; drain. Remember to just cook the noodles until they’re al dente (with a firm bite). They will continue cooking in the oven, so you don’t want to end up with mushy pasta.
- Combine the cooked pasta, diced turkey, peas, soups, milk, and seasoning. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. For instance, add some extra salt and pepper, or stir in some chives, sage, basil, oregano, or cayenne pepper. Feel free to make it your own! You might also need to add a splash of milk if the sauce seems too thick.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.
- Stir together the garlic breadcrumb topping.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the casserole.
- Bake until the topping is golden brown and the inside is hot and bubbly — just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven. Don’t bake it for too long or it may dry out.
Serving Suggestions
Aunt Bee’s classic, old-fashioned turkey noodle casserole goes well with almost any of your favorite sides. Pair it with a kale apple salad, cast iron cornbread, pumpkin bread, cranberry muffins, cranberry orange sauce, or sweet potato biscuits.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes.
- Freeze the casserole before baking. Wrapped tightly, the assembled casserole will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Leftover turkey casserole will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat the casserole: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 20 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
- How to Bake from Frozen: If you’re baking the casserole directly from the freezer, double the baking time while the dish is covered (about 40-50 minutes covered). Then remove the cover and continue baking the casserole for about 10-15 more minutes so that the topping gets crispy and browned. Remember to use a freezer-to-oven-safe baking dish so that you don’t end up with shattered glass!
This was very good! I used mixed vegetables, I don’t like peas, and added some salt and pepper! It was great, I loved the crust. I had no Parmesan so I used Mexican mix, awesome and very easy!
– Muzzy James
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Leftover Turkey Casserole
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Aunt Bee's easy turkey noodle casserole is the perfect way to take advantage of holiday extras!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces uncooked rotini pasta (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 ½ cups cooked, diced or shredded turkey
- 10 ounces (2 cups) frozen peas, not thawed (or sub with other vegetables liked parboiled or steamed broccoli)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup (I use Campbell's Heart Healthy)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (I use Campbell's Heart Healthy)
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley flakes, dried rosemary, and dried thyme
For the Topping
- ¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- Pinch of garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish (about 8-inch or 9-inch square or 11 x 7-inch); set aside. Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente. Drain.
- Combine the cooked pasta with the turkey, frozen peas (or other veggies), condensed soups, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Add a little bit of extra milk, if necessary, to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.
- In a small bowl, prepare the topping by combining the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and garlic powder.
- Sprinkle the buttered garlic bread crumbs over the top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the topping is golden brown. If you prefer the topping even darker, place the dish under the broiler for the final 1-2 minutes (but keep a close eye on it so that it doesn't burn).
Notes
This is a great make-ahead dinner. You can assemble the casserole up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready to bake, allow the dish to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes before it goes in the oven.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the casseroleCalories: 387kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 28gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 577mgPotassium: 889mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 981IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 3mg
Turkey Casserole Recipe Variations
- Use any combination of flavors of condensed soup that you prefer: cream of chicken, cream of celery, and cream of mushroom are all tasty in this dish. You can also use the turkey in a rice casserole, like this this chicken and rice casserole with mushroom soup.
- Try different vegetables. I know that a lot of folks don’t love peas (my husband included!), so it’s fine to swap out the peas for other vegetables like cut green beans or broccoli. Just steam, roast, or par-boil the vegetables before adding them to the casserole so that they’re tender by the end of the cooking time. For quick-prep, you can add small broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water during the final 3 minutes.
- Don’t have panko bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese? Substitute with crushed Ritz crackers, potato chips, crushed Corn Flakes cereal mixed with melted butter, or other buttery crackers (like Keebler Club crackers). You can also top the casserole with another cheese, such as cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese.
- Cooking just for two? Use a 1-quart casserole dish and cut the ingredients in half. You may need to decrease the baking time to 15-20 minutes (or until heated through). Similarly, to serve a larger group, double all of the ingredients and bake in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes to Try
Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
40 minutes mins
Leftover Turkey Chili
1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe
40 minutes mins
This post was originally published in November, 2016. It was updated in November, 2024.
This looks deliciouss! Pasta bakes are one of my favourite comfort food meals and for some reason peas always make them taste better, haha!
I agree, Kristy! That little bit of sweetness from the peas adds such great flavor and texture! Thanks, friend!
What a great way to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving! It’s nice to have a versatile recipe like this where you can use whatever veggies you like and leftover turkey or chicken.
Exactly! Thanks, Lindsay!
Hi Blair ,
Another recipe from Aunt Bee. The casserole looks delicious and easy to make. I love all the casserole recipes you post. It’s been a while since I visited and I love the new look on the website.
Thanks, Ruwani! The site is brand new, so I’m glad that you stopped by!
You said you use two cans of soup but recipe calls for one. Did you double recipe or did you like it with extra soup?
Hi, Maria! The recipe calls for 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of cream of chicken soup — so 2 cans total. Does that help to clarify? Enjoy! 🙂
It calls for 2 different cans of soup.
Great but needs a bit of black pepper, cayenne pepper, or paprika.
Can you substitute frozen vegetables for can vegetables?
Hi, Cindy! I didn’t use canned vegetables — just the frozen peas. You can substitute with a different type of small frozen vegetables (such as frozen mixed vegetables), or you can use canned vegetables. Any of them will work! 🙂
If canned veggies can be used, already cooked (refrigerated) veggies could be used then? I have a TON of greenbeans and corn left from Thanksgiving!
Would love to make this but I’m trying to control my sodium intake. Do you have a suggestion to replace the cream soups? Even the low sodium soups are still way to high for me. Thanks so much!
Hi, Karen! I’ve had a lot of readers use their own homemade condensed soups in this type of recipe. You can google a homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe and pick the one that looks best to you (I know there are many options out there, but I’ve never tried making them myself). If you create your own condensed soup, then you can omit or control the sodium. 🙂 Enjoy!
This was a snap to put together! I did use a variation from the tips provided, I didn’t have a bag of frozen peas, so I used a bag of frozen mixed veggies. I found that the cook time needed to be extended by 15 mins (a total cook time of 45 mins) to get the casserole heated all the way through and to begin to brown on top. It wasn’t creamy at all inside, a bit dry, would make again, but I would add more milk or can of cream soup so it would be moist.
If canned veggies can be used, already cooked (refrigerated) veggies could be used then? I have a TON of greenbeans and corn left from Thanksgiving!
Absolutely! The leftover veggies will be perfect! 🙂
If I substitute the pasta for rice would I pre cook rice or put the dry rice in mix and place in the dish ?
Hi, Brandon! You’ll want to use cooked rice, just like you would use cooked pasta. If you use uncooked rice, you would need a lot more liquid for the rice to absorb (and it would take a lot longer in the oven). Enjoy!
This was very good! I used mixed vegetables, I don’t like peas, and added some salt and pepper! IT was great, I loved the crust. I had no parmeseean so I used Mexican mix, awesome and very easy!
Great recipe. I used frozen mixed veggies & penne rigate noodles instead 0f rotini. I also used Romano cheese. This is a delicious recipe I will definitely use again.
Thanks, Bill! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note. 🙂
Can I use ground turkey? If so how should I cook it? Thanks
Hi, Pamela! Absolutely! I think it would work well with ground turkey, too. I would cook about 1 pound of ground turkey in a skillet until it’s no longer pink. Drain off the fat, and use it in the recipe just like you would use regular turkey. Enjoy!
This was good. It is a super versatile recipe. I added more milk (whole milk, by about 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup extra) to make it creamier, which was probably a good thing since I had about 2 cups of turkey and more noodles than called for. I sauteed some shallot in olive oil, tossed in the panko, seasoned with salt and pepper, then off the heat, added about 1/4 cup of the parmesan. The shallot was perfect— added extra flavor. Next time I would add some tarragon or sage; I think it needs some fresh herbs to brighten it up a little. Or, I bet a 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar mixed into the soup mixture would be great— turkey mac-n-cheese! My panko did not get very brown with the standard 1/2 hour at 350; so I threw it under the broiler for a couple minutes to get it nice and golden. Overall, the perfect thing to throw together with leftover turkey when you are very short on time.
I made this casserole after thanksgiving and loved it. Just made it with chicken for tonight. I’m sure it will be just as as yummy. Thanks for the receip e
Thank you, Judy! Yes — it’s great with chicken, too. 🙂
Tasty and very easy to prepare.
Thanks, Natalio! So glad that you enjoyed it!
Can I substitute chicken broth for the milk?
Hi, John! Yes, that will work fine. Enjoy!
Hi there, I look forward to making this recipe however, I only have wide egg noodles on hand, can I use those instead?
Hi, Daryl! Yes, those should work fine! Enjoy. 🙂
Delish, comfort food casserole dish, easy and enjoyable to prepare… I look forward to making this recipe as a go to for future dinners/ pot lucks and Meal Train opportunities… wanted to say that your photographic presentation of the completed casserole is beautifully done and has great eye appeal.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind note. 🙂
This recipe turned out better than expected. I used fresh brocolli florets, string beans and frozen corn. I only had one can of cream if chix soup, but added an envelope of turkey gravy made with water. It all turned out really well.
Thank you, Grace!
Aunt Bee’s recipe for leftover turkey was enjoyed by my family. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you, Linda!
I’m not rating the recipe because I made several changes as I’m diabetic and need to watch my carb intake. I used whole wheat elbow pasta and my own homemade condensed mushroom soup. Didn’t make any cream of chicken as I didn’t want to make two soups. I sautéed onion, celery, garlic, and mushrooms and added them. I then added frozen peas and carrots to it. It was a great starter recipe that I could fit to my eating plan.
Thank you for the feedback, Kathy! We’re glad you were able to make adjustments to suit your needs and enjoyed the recipe.