Turkey Mac and Cheese

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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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, European

Servings: people

Calories: 920kcal

Author: Emily Roz

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

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

To double quantity: This recipe can be doubled to make the dish for 8 people.

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.

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 Mac 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.

Nutrition