Leftover turkey is most often used to make cold sandwiches, but many more options exist. When preparing leftover meat, I prefer hot dishes including a deliciously different casserole with fresh mushrooms and other tasty ingredients. I was given the recipe by my grandmother many years ago. It called for chicken, but I decided to use turkey after being left with a considerable amount after Thanksgiving was over. No matter what type of poultry is used, it is by far the best casserole recipe that I have found. Try what I consider the best leftover turkey casserole, and stop eating sandwiches for days on end. It is unique and incredibly flavorful, and it will likely become a family favorite, especially when trying to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.
Before Getting Started
This particular leftover turkey casserole must be assembled and stored in the refrigerator overnight or approximately five to eight hours before baking. The liquid ingredients must fully soak into the bread or it will not turn out as it should.
Ingredients
To make the best leftover turkey casserole you will need 8 slices of white bread, 2 cups of leftover cubed turkey, 4 large eggs, 2 cups of milk, ½ cup of mayonnaise, one teaspoon of salt, 8 slices of American cheese, 8 ounces of fresh sliced mushrooms, one can of condensed cream of chicken soup and one can of cream of celery soup. You will also need cooking spray or butter to grease a 9 by 13 inch baking pan and one tablespoon of melted butter.
Easy Procedure
Begin by removing the crust from the white bread. Crumble the crust, and spread it out on paper towels to dry. Just before baking, the bread crumbs will be tossed with butter and used to top the leftover turkey casserole.
Next, coat the baking pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter or shortening. Place the 8 pieces of bread in the bottom. If they do not fit perfectly, rip the last piece in half to fill in the open spaces on the ends. Top the bread with the leftover turkey, and top the leftover turkey with the sliced mushrooms.
Scramble the eggs, and thoroughly stir in the milk, mayo and salt. The mayo will be slightly lumpy. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread, leftover turkey and mushrooms.
Arrange the slices of American cheese over the casserole. Combine the two condensed canned soups in a small bowl, and evenly spread the mixture over the entire dish. Toss the crumbed bread crust that you saved with melted butter, and evenly top the leftover turkey casserole with the buttered crumbs.
As previously mentioned, cover the leftover turkey casserole and allow it to remain in the refrigerator between 5 and 8 hours. Bake it uncovered at 325 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes. It should be bubbling around the edges, and the crumb topping should be brown before removing it from the oven. Allow the leftover turkey casserole to cool for 15 minutes before serving with a veggie of your choice.
Source: Personal Cooking Experience and Experimentation
