• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Effortless Foodie
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Ebooks
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Ebooks
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Cheesy Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake Recipe

    Published: Nov 23, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Turkey pasta bake pin image.

    An easy cheesy leftover turkey pasta bake recipe with leftover cooked roast turkey, leftover Brussels sprouts (and other Christmas vegetables), penne pasta, and a creamy cheesy sauce flavoured with garlic and thyme!

    A delicious leftover turkey recipe for Boxing Day and beyond!

    Leftover turkey pasta bake in a white baking dish.

    We love this quick, easy, and filling turkey pasta recipe. It's perfect with leftover turkey from Christmas!

    It also makes use of leftover cooked vegetables from Christmas lunch (if you have any), as well as leftover cheese from your cheeseboard. You could even add in leftover ham!

    👩‍🍳 Lots of leftover turkey? Try my easy leftover turkey fricassee next!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
    • 🛒 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Expert tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ Frequently asked questions
    • 😋 More leftover recipes!
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!

    • An easy pasta recipe using leftover turkey.
    • Filling, hearty, and comforting.
    • Uses leftover Christmas vegetables and leftover cheese too.
    • Perfect for Boxing Day.
    • On the table in 35 minutes.

    🛒 Ingredient notes

    Leftover Turkey - cooked turkey chopped into bite-size pieces.

    Pasta - a short pasta like penne, rigatoni, or fusili.

    Cheese Sauce - made with butter, garlic, thyme, flour, milk, Dijon mustard, and grated extra mature cheddar cheese.

    Leftover Vegetables - such as Brussels sprouts, butternut squash cubes, cauliflower, and broccoli. If you don't have any leftover vegetables, add in leftover cooked ham, leftover pigs in blankets, or frozen peas and sweetcorn instead.

    Parmesan - finely grated and sprinkled on top.

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water, drain and set aside.

    Two: Heat the butter in another saucepan and stir in the chopped garlic and thyme leaves. Cook for 1 minute.

    Three: Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

    Four: Gradually whisk in the milk and keep stirring until the white sauce thickens. Take off the heat and stir in the dijon mustard and grated cheese. Mix together until the cheese has melted.

    Step by step photo instructions for making a cheese sauce.

    Five: Mix in the cooked pasta, cooked turkey, and leftover cooked vegetables if using. If the sauce needs loosening a little, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water.

    Six: Spoon the mixture into a baking dish.

    Seven: Top with the grated Parmesan.

    Eight: Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

    Assembling the leftover turkey pasta bake.

    💭 Expert tips

    • Salt the water you cook the pasta in generously, for extra flavour.
    • Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water to loosen the cheese sauce if needed.
    • Cook the pasta to al dente as it will also be baked in the oven afterwards.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    Serve the leftover turkey pasta bake with homemade focaccia or garlic bread, a crisp green salad, or vegetables such as roasted tenderstem broccoli, honey roasted carrots and parsnips, and air fryer green beans.

    Leftover turkey pasta bake garnished with parsley.

    📖 Variations

    • Use different cheeses or a combination of cheeses. Gruyere, blue cheese, mozzarella, and brie (with the rind cut off) would all work well.
    • Add in leftover cooked stuffing and other cooked meats such as chicken.
    • Mix in dried cranberries and chopped pecan nuts for a festive flavour.
    • Sprinkle the top of the pasta bake with dried breadcrumbs for a crunchy finish.
    • Stir a spoonful of pesto into the cheese sauce for extra flavour

    🥡 Storage

    Make Ahead: Assemble the leftover turkey and vegetable pasta bake up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate before baking.

    Store: Cooked turkey can only be reheated once, therefore, storing leftovers of the pasta bake is not advisable as the turkey has already been reheated.

    Freezing: Not recommended.

    Cheesy pasta bake in a white baking dish.

    ❓ Frequently asked questions

    What can I do with leftover turkey?

    1. Turkey Curry
    2. Turkey Pasta Bake
    3. Turkey Risotto
    4. Turkey Fricassee
    5. Turkey and Cheese Toastie
    6. Turkey Frittata
    7. Turkey Chowder
    8. Turkey Fried Rice

    How long does cooked turkey keep in the fridge?

    Cooked turkey can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    😋 More leftover recipes!

    • Leftover Turkey Curry
    • Leftover Roast Beef Stroganoff
    • Leftover Gammon Pasta
    • Leftover Chicken Tacos
    Turkey pasta bake in a white baking dish.

    Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

    Recipe

    Leftover turkey pasta bake in a white baking dish.
    Email
    Print Pin
    5 from 5 votes

    Easy Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake

    An easy cheesy leftover turkey pasta bake recipe with leftover cooked turkey, leftover Brussels sprouts (and other Christmas vegetables), penne pasta, and a creamy cheesy sauce flavoured with garlic and thyme!
    Course Main Course, Pasta
    Cuisine British
    Keyword leftover turkey pasta bake, turkey vegetable pasta bake
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 775kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Cheese Grater
    • Knife
    • Whisk
    • 2 Saucepan
    • Large Baking Dish

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 200 g Pasta
    • 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Thyme Leaves chopped
    • 50 g Butter
    • 50 g Plain Flour
    • 650 ml Milk
    • 250 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
    • 250 g Cooked Turkey chopped into bitesize pieces
    • 200 g Leftover Brussels Sprouts or other leftover vegetables, chopped
    • 3 tablespoon Parmesan grated

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 200°C (180 fan/ 400F/ Gas 6).
    • Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water, drain and set aside.
      200 g Pasta
    • Heat the butter in another saucepan and stir in the chopped garlic and thyme leaves. Cook for 1 minute.
      2 Garlic Cloves, 1 teaspoon Thyme Leaves, 50 g Butter
    • Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
      50 g Plain Flour
    • Gradually whisk in the milk and keep stirring until the white sauce thickens. Take off the heat and stir in the dijon mustard and grated cheese. Mix together until the cheese has melted.
      650 ml Milk, 250 g Extra Mature Cheddar, 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
    • Mix in the cooked pasta, cooked turkey, and leftover cooked vegetables if using. If the sauce needs loosening a little, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water.
      250 g Cooked Turkey, 200 g Leftover Brussels Sprouts, 200 g Pasta
    • Spoon the mixture into a baking dish, top with the grated Parmesan, and bake in the oven for 20 -25 minutes until golden brown.
      3 tablespoon Parmesan

    Notes

    Expert Tips:
    • Salt the water you cook the pasta in generously, for extra flavour.
    • Reserve a cup of pasta cooking water to loosen the cheese sauce if needed.
    • Cook the pasta to al dente as it will also be baked in the oven afterwards.
     
    Variations:
    • Use different cheeses or a combination of cheeses. Gruyere, blue cheese, mozzarella, and brie (with the rind cut off) would all work well.
    • Add in leftover cooked stuffing and other cooked meats such as chicken.
    • Mix in dried cranberries and chopped pecan nuts for a festive flavour.
     
    Storage:
    Make Ahead: Assemble the pasta bake up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate before baking.
    Store: Cooked turkey can only be reheated once, therefore, storing leftovers of the pasta bake is not advisable as the turkey has already been reheated.
    Freezing: Not recommended.
     
    Nutrition:
    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    775
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    37
    g
    57
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    17
    g
    106
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.03
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    169
    mg
    56
    %
    Sodium
     
    644
    mg
    28
    %
    Potassium
     
    800
    mg
    23
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    63
    g
    21
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    10
    g
    11
    %
    Protein
     
    48
    g
    96
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1385
    IU
    28
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    44
    mg
    53
    %
    Calcium
     
    760
    mg
    76
    %
    Iron
     
    4
    mg
    22
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

    More Easy Christmas Recipes

    • Easy Frangipane Mince Pies Recipe
    • Easy Christmas Fairy Cakes with Sprinkles
    • Easy Christmas Tiffin Recipe
    • Easy Stollen Muffins Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mahy

      November 23, 2022 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a handy recipe for this time of the year! Love how easy it is to make it, and the result is amazing.

      Reply
    2. Gina Abernathy

      November 23, 2022 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      I bought an extra large turkey this year so I would have a lot of leftovers. I can't wait till Thanksgiving is over and I can enjoy my leftover turkey in many dishes. This dish is definitely on my list of recipes.

      Reply
    3. Dannii

      November 23, 2022 at 1:04 pm

      5 stars
      One of my favourite ways to use leftover turkey. So creamy and delicious.

      Reply
    4. Jess

      November 23, 2022 at 1:56 pm

      5 stars
      I'm more excited for the day after Thanksgiving because of this pasta!!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Beth Sachs Food Blogger

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

    More about me →

    Easy Air Fryer Snacks

    • Best Air Fryer Cheese on Toast Recipe
    • Cheesy Air Fryer Crumpets
    • Best Ever Air Fryer Cheese Toastie
    • Easy Air Fryer Scones Recipe

    See more air fryer recipes →

    Trending Recipes

    • Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Curry Recipe
    • Simple Savoury Mince Recipe
    • Easy Leftover Roast Beef Stroganoff
    • Pan Fried Pheasant Breasts in a Creamy White Wine Sauce

    My Web Stories

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Effortless Foodie