This Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole is such a delicious way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers! Prepared with a wild rice blend, mushrooms, cream, and melty cheese. It’s easy, it’s satisfying, and it’s going to become your new favorite leftover turkey recipe!
LEFTOVER TURKEY AND WILD RICE CASSEROLE
I’m gonna be straight up with you, my dear friends. We honestly can’t wait for Thanksgiving to finally arrive, BUT we are more excited for the leftovers than we are for the actual Thanksgiving meal. 🙈
Hear me out. Leftovers means Turkey Corn Chowder; Cranberry Turkey Quesadillas; Cheesy Potato Waffles; and this Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole. Now, I think, you can feel our excitement…?
We always have a ton of leftovers after Thanksgiving, and this Leftover Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole is exactly how I am going to use them up. It’s totally filling, creamy, indulgent, and hearty. And, if you have house guests for the weekend, this easy casserole will make dinner a breeze.
HOW TO MAKE THIS TURKEY WILD RICE CASSEROLE
- First, you will need to grab either this brown rice with wild rice blend OR this long grain rice with wild rice.
- Prepare rice according to instructions; you will need to cook 3/4-cup of raw rice for the casserole.
- In the meantime, take that leftover turkey and cut it into cubes. We will need 2 to 3 cups of it.
- Then, heat up a skillet and cook down some onions and celery. Stir in mushrooms and garlic and cook for few more minutes; remove from heat.
- Add prepared rice to a casserole dish and stir in the mushrooms mixture, cubed turkey, and some shredded mozzarella or Swiss cheese.
- Combine milk and cream in a mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and nutmeg.
- Stir cream mixture into the turkey rice mixture.
- Sprinkle with more cheese and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. I stirred all the cheese in the casserole and didn’t put any on top, but I’ve done it both ways and it’s fantastic no matter what. I mean, it’s cheese. 🧀
- Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Believe me when I say that NO ONE will complain about too many turkey leftovers once they get a taste of this casserole.
Besides the turkey and rice, gravy is also the star of this show. We add a nice dose of it over the dish and it adds great flavor and creamier texture. It’s optional, but I recommend it 1000%. 😊
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD
Assemble all ingredients up until the baking part; cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed.
HOW TO FREEZE CASSEROLES
- Wait for the casserole to completely cool; cover with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil on top. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Before reheating, remove plastic wrap and cover with only foil.
- Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes; remove cover, stir, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered.
MORE RICE CASSEROLE RECIPES
- Wild Rice and Kale Chicken Casserole
- Butternut Squash and Rice Casserole
- Garlic Butter Chicken and Rice Recipe
ENJOY!
TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 ounces ( or 3/4-cup) long grain and wild rice blend, cooked according to package directions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces canned mushroom slices, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 to 3 cups cooked turkey, cubed
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided (you can also use mozzarella or whatever shredded cheese you have on hand)
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- sweet or smoked paprika, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F degrees.
- Prepare rice according to package directions.
- In the meantime, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add diced onions and celery to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened, stirring frequently.
- Stir in mushroom slices and garlic; cook for 2 minutes.
- Add cubed turkey and mix; remove from heat.
- Transfer mushroom mixture, prepared rice, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese to a 2-quart baking dish; stir and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and nutmeg; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add milk mixture to the baking dish and mix until everything is completely combined.
- Add remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes.
- Serve.
Notes
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 6
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I made this with Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. It was very good. Next time I will saute fresh mushrooms instead of canned. Otherwise, very good flavor. Thank you for the idea!
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Made this for last nights dinner, everyone agreed that it’s a keeper. Loved the touch of nutmeg, great idea. I added some panko on top with the cheese . I highly recommend your recipe , Thank You
Thank you so much! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂