Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Casserole
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Give new life to your Thanksgiving leftovers and make this delicious and creamy wild rice and leftover turkey casserole. This comforting casserole is a perfect way to take advantage of extra meat from the holiday feast.
Leftover turkey is inevitable after Thanksgiving but don’t worry about being stuck with a weeks worth of turkey sandwiches. Instead, turn those leftovers into a creamy casserole with turkey, wild rice, mushrooms, and broccoli.
This hearty wild rice and leftover casserole is the ultimate comfort food combining turkey, broccoli, mushrooms, and a creamy homemade sauce topped with a cracker and cheese topping. It bakes up golden and bubbly and full of fall flavor.
Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Casserole Ingredients
- Wild Rice
- Fresh Broccoli
- Olive Oil
- Baby Bella Mushrooms – White mushrooms also work fine here if you can’t find baby bella mushrooms.
- Onion – A yellow or sweet onion works best here.
- Fresh Garlic
- Flour
- Milk – I use 2% milk but feel free to substitute whole milk. I do not recommend using 1% or skim milk.
- Broth – Turkey or chicken broth are perfect. ย
- Seasonings and Spices – Garlic powder, Onion powder, Salt, and Pepper
- Cheddar cheese – This gets mixed into the casserole and then also as part of the topping.
- Sour Cream
- Turkey
- Crackers – I like ritz crackers in the recipe but you can also use saltines or a similar cracker.
- Butter
If you want to change this casserole up, it is a great way to use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken in place of the turkey. You can also change the cheese to Swiss or Gruyere for a slight flavor change.
This is a great way to use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or another holiday. But it is also perfect for a weeknight meal too. You can also prepare this in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two days before baking.
How to Make Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole
The full list of ingredients and step by step instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below. Here is a quick overview of how to make this scrumptious casserole recipe.
- Create your sauce. Sautรฉ the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in olive oil.
- Add flour and cook.
- Add milk and broth. You will want to add this slowly letting some of it incorporate before adding more. Stir in the seasonings.
- Add cheese and and stir until melted. Add the cheese in small quantities and let each batch melt and blend into the sauce before adding more.
- Assemble the leftover turkey casserole. Mix in the turkey and sour cream.
- Stir in the rice and broccoli. You can par-cook the broccoli if you prefer. I like my broccoli crisp so I generally don’t cook it before adding it to the casserole mixture.
- Mix everything so that is well combined.
- Spread into a greased casserole dish.
- Make the casserole topping. Combine the crackers, shredded cheese, and melted butter.
- Stir to make sure everything is combined and the butter is well distributed.
- Spread over the casserole and bake.
The cheesy and crunchy topping is perfection when matched with the creamy leftover turkey casserole. If you are going to prep this in advance and bake it later, add the topping just before baking though so it doesn’t get soggy in the refrigerator.
More Great Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes
- Turkey Spinach Lasagna Rolls
- Turkey Picante Pie
- Turkey Tacos with Cranberry Salsa
- Turkey Apple Brie Flatbread
- Thai Turkey Soup
Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli chopped into 1-inch florets then measured
- ยผ cup olive oil
- 4 ounces chopped Baby Bella mushrooms
- 1 cup yellow onion diced (about 1 small)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ยฝ tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken or turkey broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 3 cups shredded turkey
- ยผ cup sour cream
- 1 cup wild rice blend cooked to package directions
Topping
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ยพ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- (optional) Place all the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl. Add about ยฝ cup water to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 3minutes. Remove plastic wrap and drain the water well. The broccoli will still be firm. This is good. If it was fully cooked it would end up soggy when baked in the casserole.4 cups broccoli
- To a large pot set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once heated add the mushrooms and onions. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.ยผ cup olive oil, 4 ounces chopped Baby Bella mushrooms, 1 cup yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle the flour over top and stir until the flour is evenly coated in the veggies. Cook for one minute.2 ยฝ tablespoons flour
- Working in batches, slowly whisk in the milk and broth. Sprinkle the seasonings in and stir to combine. Let the sauce come to a simmer then reduce the heat, stirring frequently during this process. Cook for about 4-5 minutes to let the sauce thicken.1 cup milk, 1 cup chicken or turkey broth, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ยฝ teaspoon onion powder, ยฝ teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon pepper
- Add the cheese a handful at a time. Stir each addition to incorporate it into the sauce as it melts.1 cup cheddar cheese
- Remove from heat and add the sour cream and turkey and stir to combine. Stir in the broccoli and cooked wild rice. Spread mixture into the prepared casserole dish.ย3 cups shredded turkey, ยผ cup sour cream, 1 cup wild rice blend
Topping
- In a small mixing bowl combine the crackers, melted butter, and cheese. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake casserole in preheated over for 45-50 minutes.1 cup crushed Ritz crackers, 3 tablespoons melted butter, ยพ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Notes
- You can use shredded chicken instead of turkey.
- You can use white mushrooms, if preferred.
- Recommend using whole milk or 2% milk for the best results.
- I recommend Ritz crackers but saltines would also work.
- You can prepare the casserole, minus the topping, up to 2 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Remove from the refrigerator while the oven preheats and add the topping just before baking.
Nutrition
