My heart is filled with gratitude, my life is filled with amazing people, and I am thankful for these gifts from God. May you have an abundance of blessings to count this Thanksgiving!

Speaking of abundance – I’m guessing you will have an abundance of leftovers after Thanksgiving, and the last thing anyone wants to do is put together another big shabang.

Growing up, my mom used to make TV trays with all the leftovers and freeze them. The day after Thanksgiving was always a delicious treat. After our individual aluminum TV dinners baked in the oven we enjoyed eating them while we watched TV.

As a mother I am usually all about eating at the dinner table, but make an exception for the day after Thanksgiving, just like my mom did. But rather than separating all the ingredients into compartmentalized TV trays I made this easy Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Casserole.

My Thanksgiving dinners always include chile such as roasted green chile salsa and rajas con queso giving my Thanksgiving a Mexican twist. My freezer is stocked with roasted green chile and I included chopped green chile to our casserole. If you like the addition of spice, but your kids don’t, try making two small casseroles – one with chile and one without.

This casserole can even be assembled on Thanksgiving Day as you are putting away all your leftovers. Then, on the day after Thanksgiving all you have to do is pull it out of your fridge and bake.

This casserole is made with leftover chopped turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, and stuffing. The stuffing on the top layer gives this casserole a beautiful toasted breaded topping, the cranberries give this dish a slight sweet flavor, the turkey and mashed potatoes are the comforting ingredients that make Thanksgiving so special, and the mayonnaise and cheese in this casserole gives this dish a creaminess melding all the flavors together.

It’s Thanksgiving, all in one bite! This hearty, rich-tasting main dish is sure to be a hit with your family. This baked casserole can be enjoyed with a hot cup of tea, as you sit on the couch, watching your favorite holiday movie with your family.

Need more leftover recipe ideas? Try some of these:

Pulling Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole out of the oven

Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Casserole

5 (3 ratings)
Not sure what to do with your leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner? Combine your turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and more together in this delicious leftover turkey casserole recipe!
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Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups leftover prepared stuffing, divided
  • 4 cups coarsely chopped leftover cooked turkey, about 1 lb.
  • 3/4 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, divided
  • 1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
  • chopped roasted green chile, optional
  • 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Spray 8-inch. baking dish with no-stick cooking spray. Spoon in 1-1/2 cups stuffing, then top with turkey.
  • Combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise with cranberry sauce; evenly spread over turkey.
  • Combine chopped roasted green chile, if using with remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, potatoes and cheese in large bowl. Evenly spread on turkey, then top with remaining 1-1/2 cups stuffing.
  • Bake 40 minutes or until heated through.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired, with dried cranberries.

Notes

This casserole can even be assembled on Thanksgiving Day as you are putting away all your leftovers. Then, on the day after Thanksgiving all you have to do is pull it out of your fridge and bake.
Calories: 453.94kcal, Carbohydrates: 32.28g, Protein: 17.73g, Fat: 28.18g, Saturated Fat: 6.35g, Cholesterol: 55.66mg, Sodium: 654.18mg, Potassium: 342.17mg, Fiber: 3.25g, Sugar: 5.96g, Vitamin A: 370.87IU, Vitamin C: 12.33mg, Calcium: 105.9mg, Iron: 1.53mg
Author: Yvette Marquez
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Photography: Jenna Sparks / Styling & Décor: Thrifty Rehab