This Turkey Mac and Cheese is a recipe you need to save for when you've got any leftover turkey. It only requires 15 minutes of your time and is a great feast to serve ups with friends and family.
One of the best things about the Christmas period is the food. And with all the leftovers, it's always great to have an array of leftover turkey recipe inspirations. This baked turkey Macaroni and cheese is one of the best ways to use up your leftover turkey. It's a simple cheesy turkey casserole dish that takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare. Just whack it into the oven and you've got yourself a cheesy creamy Mac and cheese!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Leftovers: If you've got leftover turkey, this is a great way to use it up!
- Perfect for a feast: Macaroni and cheese is one of those dishes that is great for a feast with friends and family. You can double up the recipe if you've got 8 people to feed! Another pasta recipe I love to feed friends and family is my Baked Ziti with Ground Turkey, it's full of flavour and easy to make.
- Quick to prep: You only need 15 minutes to get the casserole dish ready to place in the oven. It's all really simple and super delicious!
If you're looking for more tasty baked dishes, you'd love my cheesy baked cream of chicken bake, simple Boursin pie, and my French onion cottage pie. And if you fancy something for dessert, you all rave about my Miso Pecan Pie!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Pasta: You'll want to use a classic small Mac and cheese pasta type for this recipe. I've used Spirali, but you can use anything like elbow macaroni pasta.
Milk: I've used semi-skimmed milk, but you can use full fat milk for a creamier texture. If you're looking to make this dish veggie, or you just prefer plant-based milk, then use unsweetened soy milk or oat milk.
Paprika: Sweet paprika adds a lovely smokiness to the sauce. If you don't have paprika, you can use chilli flakes for a bit of heat, or cajun seasoning.
Butterbeans: The butterbeans are added to provide a bit of thickness to the sauce. They're also super healthy and a great source of protein and fibre. If you're a fan of butter beans, you should check out my marry me chicken pie recipe or my spinach and butterbean curry!
Cheese: I guess, you can use as many cheeses as possible.
Leftover turkey: Grab your leftover turkey and chop up a few slices into small cubes. You'll then want to scatter it all over your Mac and cheese before placing it into the oven. You could alternatively mix it into your Mac and cheese. If you're looking for some more recipes to help use up leftover turkey, check out my show-stopper Dumpling Wreath!
Breadcrumbs: Any kind of breadcrumbs, or you could use crushed cornflakes as your crunchy topping.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Get a pot of salted boiling water and add in your spirali pasta. Cook until al dente and then drain and set aside.
Step 2: Place a non-stick pan on medium heat and add in your butter. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until combined into a roux. Meanwhile, blend milk, paprika, butter beans, salt and pepper. Then pour that slowly into your pan and whisk continuously until you have a smooth, slightly thick sauce.
Step 3: Preheat your oven to 200C/390F. Next, add in your cheeses of choice and stir until everything is melted and you've got yourself a super tasty, silky creamy sauce. Give it a taste and season to your preference.
Step 4: Pour your pasta into a casserole dish and then top with your cheesy sauce. Give everything a good mix. Then, top with your turkey pieces, breadcrumbs, and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Top Tips!
- To avoid lumps in your sauce, stir constantly using a whisk as you slowly pour the milk in to make your roux, and keep stirring once the milk is all added.
- Plenty of sauce – you want a saucy Mac and Cheese, so make sure you've got lots of creamy cheesy sauce so that it doesn't dry up once baked!
- Can you make Mac and Cheese ahead of time? A lot of recipes are not suitable for making ahead, but this recipe is! The best way is to cool pasta then toss with sauce and adding turkey and breadcrumb topping. Cool, refrigerate or freeze then bake on the day of.
What To Do With Baked Turkey Mac and Cheese Leftovers
Storage: This recipe is good for 3 to 5 days in the fridge.
Reheat: When reheating, add a few tablespoons more milk on top of your dish (to avoid the Macaroni and cheese getting dry), then bake with kitchen foil placed on top for 15 minutes at 200C/390F until heated through.
Freeze: Assemble, cool, don't bake the dish, but freeze it. Then, when you're ready to eat, defrost it on the day and follow the baking instructions.
FAQS
You can use both, however, I'd definitely recommend using freshly grated cheese as pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking agent that can make the sauce grainy.
I've used spirali pasta, but you can use any small pasta shape you like, for example, elbow macaroni pasta.
Absolutely, simply double up the quantities for this recipe to make it for 8 people.
More Recipe Inspiration For You...
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Turkey Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 300g spirali pasta or any other macaroni pasta shape
- 800ml milk semi-skimmed or full fat
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 100g butterbeans
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoon flour
- 200g cheddar cheese, grated you can also use mozzarella for a stringy Mac and cheese
- 200g Red Leicester, grated or any orange cheese
- 150g leftover turkey, chopped
- 50g breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Get a pan of salted boiling water and add in your spirali pasta. Cook until al dente and then drain and set aside.
- Place a non-stick pan on medium heat and add in your butter. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until combined into a roux. Meanwhile, blend milk, paprika, butter beans, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Then pour that slowly into your pan and whisk continuously until you have a smooth, slightly thick sauce.
- Preheat your oven to 200C/390F. Next, add in your cheeses of choice (I've used cheddar and Red Leicester because I love their flavour, but feel free to add in some mozzarella too for more stringiness) and stir until everything is melted and you've got yourself a super tasty, silky creamy sauce. Give it a taste and season to your preference.
- Pour your pasta into a casserole dish and then top with your cheesy sauce. Give everything a good mix. Then, top with your turkey pieces, breadcrumbs, and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Notes
- To avoid lumps in your sauce, stir constantly using a whisk as you slowly pour the milk in to make your roux, and keep stirring once the milk is all added.
- Plenty of sauce – you want a saucy Mac and Cheese, so make sure you've got lots of creamy cheesy sauce so that it doesn't dry up once baked!
- Can you make Mac and Cheese ahead of time? A lot of recipes are not suitable for making ahead, but this recipe is! The best way is to cool pasta then toss with sauce and adding turkey and breadcrumb topping. Cool, refrigerate or freeze then bake on the day of.
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