Leftover Turkey Rice Casserole

A spoonful of creamy turkey rice casserole.

4.84 from 6 votes

Leftover Turkey Rice Casserole

This Leftover Turkey Rice Casserole is a great way to use up holiday leftovers, and tastes amazing too. Make your own cream of chicken soup for a healthier creamy texture, and enjoy this delicious family favorite!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword leftover turkey rice casserole

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 470kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

Turkey and rice ingredients:

4 cups leftover turkey - combo of white and dark meat
4 cups cooked long grain white rice
1 ½ cup mayonnaise with olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion - chopped
3 cloves garlic - minced

For the homemade cream of chicken soup:

1¼ cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt - to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the cracker topping:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter - melted
20 Ritz crackers - crushed

Instructions

Make the cream of chicken soup mixture. Combine milk and chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat. When it's hot (not boiling), add the flour, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously. Add the onion powder, salt, and pepper - and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
1 cup milk, 1¼ cups lower-sodium chicken broth, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
In a saute pan, add olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic
In a large bowl. combine turkey, cooked rice, the cream of chicken soup mixture, mayonnaise, frozen peas, and sautéed onions and garlic. Stir well and pour into a 9x13 casserole dish.
4 cups leftover turkey, 4 cups cooked long grain white rice, 1 ½ cup mayonnaise with olive oil, 1 cup frozen peas
Combine crackers and melted butter and add to casserole.
20 Ritz crackers, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Bake casserole for 30-45 minutes, or until hot.

Notes

Leftover turkey is normally good for 3-4 days, if properly stored in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for a couple of months, and thaw it out to use later.
You can prep this casserole a day before baking. Store it covered in the refrigerator and then bake until hot.
You can freeze the leftover casserole, if desired. You can also freeze it before baking, but I'd wait to add the cracker topping.

Nutrition