Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to do with dry turkey leftovers? ›

If the turkey is dry, sitting in the moist gravy will help to rehydrate it. Serving more sauce on the side also helps to add moisture.

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth.

Safe Food Storage Times

According to the USDA, cooked turkey, gravy, and leftovers can be safely refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen for 3 to 4 months. Technically, frozen food is safe indefinitely however, the quality of the food may decrease as the food loses moisture.

The best way to reheat turkey is in a 350°F oven.

Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of stock and/or butter. Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.

Turkey tetrazzini is an extra-comforting, baked spaghetti casserole filled with turkey, mushrooms, and cheese. Like most casseroles, this tetrazzini is totally versatile: add in your favorite veggies or switch out the protein (chicken tetrazzini is one of our go-to choices).

How long do the turkey and trimmings stay safe in the refrigerator or freezer? The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later.

According to foodsafety.gov, a website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the following foods are safe in the fridge: Turkey: 3-4 days. Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days.

If your turkey has been properly handled, you can refrigerate and eat it for up to four days. If you are planning to freeze it, it's best to freeze it within one day of cooking for optimal texture and taste. However, leftover turkey can be frozen after three days and it will be fine.

If you use fully cooked ingredients in a casserole, they may turn mushy. Save yourself from a goopy mess, and stop the cooking process just a few minutes early. Meat is one exception to this rule. Thoroughly cook any meat for a casserole you intend to freeze before adding it to the other ingredients.

It's not a good idea to reheat turkey more than once. Technically, as long as it reaches 165° each time, it's safe to eat. That said, it's a food safety hazard to some degree, since every time you heat and cool food, it passes through the danger zone (between 40° and 140°).

Can you freeze a casserole in an aluminum foil pan? ›

Foil pans work well for freezing foods you'll re-heat in the oven. You can bake food in foil pans and then freeze it in the baking pan. Cover pan tightly with freezer-quality foil, paper, plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Plastic freezer/microwave safe containers are a good choice for foods you'll reheat in the microwave.

Though it's especially obvious in leftover fish and poultry, discerning connoisseurs can pick out the WOF bouquet in most reheated meats. These flavors are the result of a series of chemical reactions that begins with the deterioration of specific kinds of fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs.

Simply heat your oven to 300 degrees, put the carved meat in a baking dish, and add some chicken broth or turkey stock to the pan. The meat will absorb some of the liquid as it heats, making it nice and juicy. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in the oven until the meat is hot, 20 to 30 minutes.

Well, if the turkey is precooked, you only need to warm it up. The key is to do that without drying it out. I would bake it in a warm oven around 300F, after pouring some chicken broth or stock in the bottom of the pan. Insert a meat thermometer, and cover tightly with foil.

The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within 2-6 months.

Use freezer-safe bags or containers and "limit air space in the package to prevent freezer burn," she says. Another option is to wrap the turkey in aluminum foil, followed by plastic wrap. "The aluminum foil helps prevent freezer burn and the plastic wrap helps retain moisture," explains Baker.

Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey in an easy recipe for jerky. Using a dehydrator or in the oven, leftover turkey jerky takes just a few hours to dry and takes advantage of those great herbs and spices already imparted through a lovingly brined and cooked turkey.