Leftover Turkey Stuffing Casserole

 

This past weekend was the Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday. Well, it is actually today (Monday) but most people cook their dinners on the Sunday.  That gives everyone a day for travelling back home on Monday if they have had to travel any distance.

When I was a child it was always one of my favorite holidays.  I loved Thanksgiving. My mother always cooked a large turkey dinner with all of the fixings.  I loved my mother's stuffing. She used a delicious mix of bread and potatoes, along with herbs seasonings and onions.  the stuffing was always my favorite part of the meal and I could have been perfectly happy to sit down to just a plate of that and nothing else!

We had planned to celebrate Thanksgiving at my sister's this year with fried chicken rather than turkey, but unfortunately everyone but myself came down with Covid on Thursday.  As I write this, I am still waiting.  No symptoms as of yet. (Fingers crossed I don't get it!)

I had a small turkey breast in my freezer and so I decided to take it out and cook myself a small Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings.  (See photo above)

 

I roasted the breast along with a sweet potato and a half of a butternut squash.  I also made some stovetop stuffing mix (coz I was feeling lazy) and gravy from Bisto.  I had a small package of peas in butter sauce in the freezer which I cooked as well.

I also mashed a potato.  It was not quite as good as a larger meal, but it was quite satisfying anyways. I did miss having the company of my loved ones to enjoy it with me.

 

Because my turkey breast was not really large it really only made enough to enjoy on the day and perhaps a sandwich and then this casserole.  I had seen the recipe for this casserole on a page called Meatloaf and Melodrama.   

It looked very simple to make and I knew it would make great use of my leftovers.  I hate waste. I did cut the recipe down to feed only two people from the original 8.  If you are wanting to make this and feed more people, by all means, check out the original.

If you are like me and have a much smaller family, then I have you covered.  This was quite simply very easy and quick to make and most delicious!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE LEFTOVER TURKEY STUFFING CASSEROLE

Just a few well planned and positioned leftovers.  It is as easy as that!

• 1 cup (125g) cooked turkey, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup (120ml) leftover gravy
• 1/4 cup (62g) cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup (75g) cooked green beans
• 1 cup (100g) prepared stuffing
• salt and black pepper to taste
• butter to dot (about 1/2 TBS)

If you don't have any leftover gravy, you can always use my how to make Perfect Gravy From Scratch recipe.  It enables you to make as much or as little gravy as you wish from simple store cupboard ingredients. 

I used stove stop stuffing. In the U.K. you could use Paxo. 

Everything really is pretty self-explanatory. You can use any leftover vegetable you might have, rather than the green beans.  You could also use this recipe to use up leftover roast chicken, or even pork.

 

HOW TO MAKE LEFTOVER TURKEY STUFFING CASSEROLE

This is such a simple make, it is almost an embarrassment to share it with you, but then again, when has that ever stopped me!  I had never thought to use cranberry sauce as a layer in a leftover casserole! It totally works!

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 cup (1/2 liter) casserole or pie dish.

Lay the pieces of turkey in a single layer in the bottom of the dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the gravy over top of the turkey evenly.

Sprinkle the green beans over top of the gravy and then dot with the cranberry sauce, spreading it out evenly over top of the casserole.

 

Crumble the leftover stuffing over top of everything and spread it out to cover. Dot with butter. Cover with a lid or a buttered piece of aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes covered. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until everything is hot and bubbling and the stuffing is golden brown. Serve hot with your favorite sides.

 

This tasty casserole was a really delicious way to use up some of my leftovers.  I didn't have many really as I had only cooked a small bone in breast.  I had enough for my main meal and then a sandwich, and then this delicious casserole which also helped me to get rid of some of the gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

You can substitute the green beans for any leftover vegetables that you have. 

I served it with a few small, boiled potatoes, lightly buttered and seasoned. It went down a real treat! Of course, since I am only one person, I will get to enjoy this a second time as well.  I am actually going to freeze the second helping as I am a bit turkey 'ed out!

 

I have always been a person who enjoys the leftovers from a holiday dinner almost more than the actual main feast. Here are a few other ways that I like to enjoy them! 

TEN TASTY IDEAS FOR LEFTOVERS - Although these recipes specify chicken, you can very easily substitute cooked turkey for the chicken in each and everyone. There is something here for every flavor and multiple tastes. Tostados, pot pies, hash, etc. If you can't find something here that calls to your tastebuds, I don't know what will!

 

 

BOMBAY TURKEY - Making a delicious curry with the leftover turkey is a very British way of using up the leftovers.  It practically a tradition there that there will be a turkey curry served the day after the turkey dinner.  This is a particularly delicious one.  It's a tasty way to do something different with your leftovers.

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP -  This turkey soup is rich and delicious with an abundance of East Indian/Asian flavors and filled with meaty chunks of turkey, plenty of vegetables and rice. There is a gentle hit of heat and spice from the use of curry powder and a touch of sweetness (which goes well with curry) by using a fresh apple, chopped. Altogether, its a very hearty, delicious and satisfying soup. Its a great way to get the most out of your turkey bones and the scraps of meat that cling to them.

Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Leftover Turkey Stuffing Casserole

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This tasty casserole is an easy make from Thanksgiving leftovers. Sized for two people, it can easily be multiplied to serve more.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (125g) cooked turkey, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup (120ml) leftover gravy
• 1/4 cup (62g) cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup (75g) cooked green beans
• 1 cup (100g) prepared stuffing
• salt and black pepper to taste
• butter to dot (about 1/2 TBS)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 cup (1/2 liter) casserole or pie dish.
2. Lay the pieces of turkey in a single layer in the bottom of the dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the gravy over top of the turkey evenly.
3. Sprinkle the green beans over top of the gravy and then dot with the cranberry sauce, spreading it out evenly over top of the casserole.
4. Crumble the leftover stuffing over top of everything and spread it out to cover. Dot with butter.
5. Cover with a lid or a buttered piece of aluminum foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes covered. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until everything is hot and bubbling and the stuffing is golden brown.
7. Serve hot with your favorite sides.

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