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.
200gLeftover Brussels Sproutsor other leftover vegetables, chopped
3tablespoonParmesangrated
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
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.