Turn Leftover Turkey Into a Cheese Casserole
If I had to choose one casserole to eat for the rest of my life, it would be chicken spaghetti or, in this case, turkey. It’s a cheesy, kitsch masterpiece soaked in condensed soup. This is a casserole in the truest sense of the word, and is a great remedy for even the saddest turkey leftovers.
You see, even if all you have left is the driest remnants of your bird for Thanksgiving, these turkey slices will be delicious with the help of mushroom cream, rotel, and velveteen. If you think you’re too good for mushroom cream, rotela, and corduroy, you’re lying to yourself and it only hurts you. Let the processed, creamy, salty health benefits of these canned scientific wonders soothe your tired body and soul. After the Thanksgiving home cooking contest, we all need a break, and there’s no shame in opening a jar or three. (Note: If you’re serving this to an Italian American or an Italian from Italy, don’t call it “spaghetti” unless you want to hear “okay, but it’s not spaghetti” about 37 times a night.)
As you may have guessed, turkey spaghetti is very easy to make. You can use up to a pound of leftover turkey for every pound of pasta, but don’t worry if you only have a few handfuls of meat – cheese noodles are great on their own. To make it you will need:
- Up to a pound of leftover turkey, shredded
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 1 onion (add diced bell pepper if desired)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
- 1 Rotel can
- 12 oz Velveeta
- 2 teaspoons Lowry seasoning salt
- 1 cup hot cheddar, shredded
Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan with salted water until the noodles are smooth. Meanwhile, chop the onion into cubes and sauté in two tablespoons of butter over medium heat until lightly caramelized. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine the condensed soup, Rotel and Velveeta and stir over medium heat until the cheese product is completely melted. It shouldn’t take long as Velveeta is very melt-prone. Add cooked noodles, turkey and onion and season with Lowry sauce. Transfer everything to a greased 13×9 baking dish, sprinkle with grated cheddar and bake in 350 degree oven until hot and cheese is melted and browned. Use while watching Christmas movies in sweatpants.