Simple Turkey Filling Casserole Bake

This simple casserole features the wonderful flavors of Thanksgiving: toasted bread cubes and shredded turkey layered with a combination of creaminess and cheese and topped with buttered cracker crumbs. A wonderful way to use up leftover turkey or chicken, any time of the year!

This recipe is hearty and wholesome – the ultimate comfort casserole. Whether you’ve got leftover chicken from a whole chicken roast or turkey leftover from Thanksgiving, this is a delicious way to use it!

I don’t know about you all, but I love having leftover chicken or turkey on hand. After roasting or smoking a turkey for dinner, I’ll cut off all the wonderful remaining meat left on the bones and use it in the next day or two or freeze it for later.

And did you know it’s very simple to make your own broth from bones (after cutting off the meat) to use in cooking before throwing them out? Not to mention all the health benefits of bone broth.

Anyway in this case, I had frozen the meat for later and later was today!

I got the frozen meat out of the freezer this morning and by the time I was ready to prepare lunch it was almost thawed and ready to be used! The rest of the ingredients are all things we try to keep stocked in our pantry and refrigerator, so that’s one of the great things to love about this recipe for Turkey Filling Casserole!

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Supplies You May Need

These are our current favorites or similar options.

• Toaster
• Cutting Board
• Bread Knife
• Pyrex Glass Bakeware
• Pyrex Glass Measuring Cups
• Silicone Spatulas
• Kitchenaid can opener
• Immersion blender
• Ziplock bag

Ingredients for Simple Turkey Filling Casserole Bake

• Toasted bread, cut into cubes
• Cooked and diced turkey or chicken

Broth mixture:

• Melted butter
• Chicken broth
• Milk
• Eggs

• American cheese, either white or orange.

Cream soup mixture:

• Cream of mushroom soup
• Cream of chicken soup

Cracker crumb topping:

• Crushed Ritz crackers
• Melted butter

How to make Simple Turkey Filling Casserole Bake

At first glance, this recipe might appear somewhat hard or time consuming but it really isn’t! (Or we probably wouldn’t be making it!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

First, you’ll want to toast the bread: either simply toast to your desired level of done-ness in a toaster like we did or toast it in the oven. (And yes, we did use 2 crust pieces; no one will ever know it!)

Take a knife or kitchen scissors and cut each slice into 16 little squares, then layer them evenly in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. We recommend using one with tall sides since this makes a deep casserole and it has the potential to spill over in the oven, (which is one of my pet peeves!).

Next add the layer of diced turkey.

In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, chicken broth, milk and eggs and blend with an immersion blender to make a smooth mixture. Pour this over the bread cubes and turkey.

Now add a single layer of American cheese.

The next step is combining the two cream soups, and for this we use the same mixing bowl we used to mix up the broth mixture. Once mixed, spread on top of the American cheese layer.

Dump the Ritz crackers in a plastic bag and crush, either by hand or with a rolling pin then mix them with the melted butter and spread evenly on top of the casserole.

And that’s it! Pop it in the oven, uncovered, and bake for one hour.

After baking, allow the turkey filling casserole to rest for 15 minutes before serving to allow it to set up slightly. Enjoy!

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes and Variations

You can use cooked turkey or chicken in this recipe.

Did you know you can make your own cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups?

Have you tried Simple Turkey Filling Casserole Bake?

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