Turkey Noodle Casserole turns leftover turkey into a completely different meal. A homemade creamy cheddar sauce coats tender egg noodles, turkey and veggies, all finished under a crisp panko topping. It’s a crowd pleaser!

If you’re looking for more ways to use leftover turkey, try my Chicken Pasta Bake!

Baked turkey noodle casserole in a white dish surrounded by carrots, celery, onion, and fresh parsley.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

My kids have been requesting this casserole year round, even now in the middle of summer, so I thought it was time I posted it on the site. It’s our favourite way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey. We think your whole family will love it too because it’s

Ideal for leftovers. This leftover turkey casserole uses up three cups of leftover meat, but is a completely different taste profile than the usual flavours of Thanksgiving or the holiday season.
Versatile. You can swap the protein! Make it a pasta casserole with grilled or rotisserie chicken, or use two 5-ounce cans of drained tuna. It’s a great way to stretch a rotisserie to feed a larger group.
Made with whole food ingredients. No canned soup here. The beautifully creamy homemade cheddar sauce is rich, smooth, and worth the few extra minutes.
Crowd-pleasing cozy comfort food. It feeds up to eight and has always been given a unanimous thumbs up by both kids and adults.

A close-up serving of creamy turkey noodle casserole topped with melted cheddar and chopped parsley.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Turkey Noodle Casserole recipe. Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Egg noodles – the base of the casserole. We use the extra broad size.
Salted butter – combined with the flour, it forms the base that thickens the sauce.
Yellow onion, celery and garlic – deepen the savoury flavour and adds texture.
All-purpose flour – for thickening the sauce.
Milk – the main body of the sauce. Any fat percentage works.
Heavy cream – the fat keeps the cheddar melting smoothly instead of seizing. You can substitute half-and-half for a lighter sauce.
Chicken or turkey broth – thins the sauce and adds savoury depth.
Hot sauce – Tabasco or sriracha for a little warmth and tang, you won’t notice much heat.
Salt & black pepper
Cheddar cheese – grate it fresh for the smoothest sauce and it’s used for topping.
Sour cream – stirred in at the end for tang. We like to use full fat for the creamiest result and it’s less likely to break when added to the warm sauce.
Cooked turkey – leftover holiday turkey is ideal, but chicken or tuna work too.
Frozen mixed vegetables – for colour and nutrition. No thawing needed. Use fresh if you prefer, adding them with the onion and celery.
Panko breadcrumbs – the crisp topping.
Fresh parsley – optional, for color.

Labelled ingredients for turkey noodle casserole portioned into bowls on a marble surface.

How to Make It

Start by cooking the egg noodles in generously salted water, until a minute before al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside. Slightly undercooking them here keeps them from turning mushy in the oven.

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the onion and celery until the celery softens, about five minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and garlic and whisk constantly for a minute or two, until the flour and butter come together into a smooth paste and the raw flour smell cooks off. This paste is the base for thickening the sauce.

Four-step collage showing onion and celery cooked in butter, flour whisked in, then milk and sour cream added to the sauce.

Slowly whisk in the milk a bit at a time, then the cream and broth. Add the hot sauce, salt, and pepper, bring everything to a simmer, and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the cheddar a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before the next. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the sour cream, then fold in the turkey, frozen vegetables, and noodles until everything is coated.

Four-step collage showing turkey, vegetables, and noodles folded into the sauce, then topped with cheddar and panko in a baking dish.

Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar and an even layer of panko. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, until bubbling and heated through. Finish with parsley and serve hot.

Tips for Success

Undercook the noodles. Drain them a minute shy of al dente so they finish in the oven instead of becoming mushy. The cold water rinse will also help to prevent overcooking.
Be efficient with prep. I chop celery and onion, grate the cheese and measure out the liquids while the noodles are cooking.
Chop fresh veggies small, if you choose to use fresh instead of frozen. Sometimes I’ll grate fresh carrots to ensure a quick cook time, like I do in my ground turkey stir fry recipe.
Add the milk slowly. Whisk it in a little at a time, until it forms a paste, then add more. This will help the sauce stay smooth instead of clumping.
Grate your own cheese. It will melt better than the pre-grated variety, ensuring a creamy, smooth sauce.
Add salt to taste. Especially if you’re using unsalted butter. I suggest tasting the sauce just before you add the egg noodles.

A plate of turkey noodle casserole served with crusty bread, the full baking dish resting nearby.

Can I prep this casserole ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the casserole up to a day in advance. Follow the recipe until you transfer the noodle and sauce mixture to the casserole dish, then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Hold off on the panko and cheddar toppings until just before baking, so the topping will stay crisp.

A couple notes on what to expect. The noodles will keep soaking up sauce as the dish sits, so it will bake up a little thicker/drier. A cold casserole also needs longer in the oven, so let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats and add at least 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time, ensuring it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for food safety reasons.

A forkful of cheesy turkey noodle casserole lifted from a plate, with the baking dish in the background.

Storage, Freezing & Reheating

Storage: this casserole includes turkey that was already cooked, so its fridge life counts from when the turkey was first roasted, not from when you bake this dish. Make the casserole within a day or two of cooking the turkey, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for only one to two more days, so the meat is eaten within four days of its original cook date.

If you’re using freshly cooked rotisserie, grilled chicken or tuna, the usual 4-day fridge life applies.

Freezing: This casserole does not freeze well.

Reheating: To reheat, cover individual portions and heat in the microwave.

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