The Best Leftover Turkey and Rice Casserole with a Crispy Surprise
Looking for leftover turkey recipes for the holidays? This Leftover Turkey and Rice Casserole is a delicious alternative to a turkey sandwich. And it has a crispy surprise! Made with a rice blend and frozen vegetables, it comes together quickly and finishes up in the oven. Add shredded cheese the last 15 minutes of baking, plus the crispy surprise, and you’ll have an easy and delicious casserole your family will love. Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to make this delicious casserole – swap out the turkey for rotisserie chicken and you’ll have a new go-to casserole recipe for any time of year.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 16-ounce package of favorite rice blend (try to find one with long grain and wild rice plus other blends)
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups leftover shredded or chopped turkey (about 1/2-inch dice)
- 16-ounce package of frozen mixed vegetable (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)
- 3 cups of water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crispy turkey skin, chopped
Instructions
To prepare the crispy turkey skin:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place leftover pieces of turkey skin on a prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt.
- Transfer from baking sheet to a chopping board and chop into small pieces; set aside.
To make the casserole:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9″ by 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add butter to a non-stick skillet and turn stovetop to medium heat.
- Next, add onions and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Then, add dry rice mixture, salt, and pepper and saute about 5 minutes more (if using a wet rice mixture, i.e., a microwavable ready-to-eat rice product, okay to add that here, too).
- Pour mixture into 9″ x 13″ baking pan and spread around.
- Add turkey meat over rice mixture, distributing evenly around baking pan.
- Sprinkle turkey/rice mixture with frozen vegetables, distributing evenly.
- Pour milk and water over everything in the casserole dish (make sure to reduce the water and milk, if using a ready-to-eat, microwavable rice product; you don’t want your casserole to turn out soupy!).
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven.
- Bake 45 minutes; remove casserole from oven and carefully remove foil.
- Sprinkle the casserole with cheese, then sprinkle with crispy turkey skin.
- Return casserole to oven and bake, uncovered, approximately 10 to 15 minutes more until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.
- Remove casserole from oven and serve.
Notes
Can swap out the leftover turkey for rotisserie chicken and eat this yummy casserole throughout the year!
Find it online: https://tootsweet4two.com/leftover-turkey-and-rice-casserole/
