Try this easy cheesy leftover turkey pasta bake! Made with roast turkey, leftover Brussels sprouts, and other festive vegetables, it features penne pasta and a creamy cheese sauce with garlic and thyme.
Perfect for Boxing Day and beyond!
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We love this quick, easy, and hearty turkey pasta recipe—ideal for using up leftover Christmas turkey! It also incorporates leftover cooked vegetables and any cheese from your cheeseboard. Feel free to add in some leftover ham for extra flavour.
👩🍳 Lots of leftover turkey? Try my easy leftover turkey fricassee next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- An easy leftover turkey pasta recipe.
- Filling, hearty, and comforting.
- Uses leftover Christmas vegetables and leftover cheese.
- 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.
Five: Mix in the cooked pasta, cooked turkey, and leftover cooked vegetables if using. If the sauce needs thinning 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.
Top Tips
- Generously salt the pasta cooking water for added flavour.
- Reserve a cup of the pasta water to adjust the cheese sauce consistency, if needed.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, as it will continue to bake in the oven.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the leftover turkey pasta bake with homemade focaccia or air fryer garlic bread, a crisp green salad, or vegetables such as roasted tenderstem broccoli, honey roasted carrots and parsnips, and air fryer green beans.
📖 Variations
- Use different cheeses or a combination of cheeses. Gruyere, blue cheese, mozzarella, and brie (with the rind cut off) would all work well.
- Mix 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.
❓ Frequently asked questions
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
Cooked turkey can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
😋 More leftover recipes!
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Recipe
Easy Leftover Turkey Pasta Bake
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Whisk
- 2 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
Mahy
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.
Gina Abernathy
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.
Dannii
One of my favourite ways to use leftover turkey. So creamy and delicious.
Jess
I'm more excited for the day after Thanksgiving because of this pasta!!