Pretty soon you’ll be wondering what to do with all that leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. Turkey sandwiches are always great, but they get so boring after a couple of days. Instead use some of that leftover turkey to make a delicious meal like this Southwestern Turkey Casserole. Last week Mom and I prepared our Citrus and Herb Turkey, and then used some of the leftovers for this casserole. It was delicious, and I think I might have enjoyed the casserole more than the traditional turkey dinner we ate.
This casserole can be prepared in one large 13 inch x 19 inch baking dish. We opted to make 2 smaller casseroles. One to keep and one to send over to my brother’s house. The recipe can easily be halved – the beauty of a casserole. Since this dish has crushed tortilla chips, I recommend serving the same day it is prepared so the chips keep their crunch. I love that added texture.
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Southwestern Turkey Casserole
Ingredients:
2 large onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or cheese blend
1 package (12-1/2 ounces) tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions:
Prepare greased 13 inch x 9 inch baking dish. In a medium size pot, saute onions and green pepper in butter until tender. Stir in the turkey, soup, sour cream and spinach. Spoon half of the turkey mixture into the baking dish. Then a layer of cheese and tortilla chips. Repeat layers.
Bake casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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Enjoy! What’s your favorite turkey leftovers recipe?
Southwestern Turkey Casserole
Yield 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 cups cubed cooked turkey
- 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or cheese blend
- 1 package (12-1/2 ounces) tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- Prepare greased 13 inch x 9 inch baking dish. In a medium size pot, saute onions and green pepper in butter until tender. Stir in the turkey, soup, sour cream and spinach. Spoon half of the turkey mixture into the baking dish. Then a layer of cheese and tortilla chips. Repeat layers.
- Bake casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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Maybe I’ve been under the cabbage patch, but this is the first time I’ve seen turkey and tortilla chips – and it sounds wonderful! This is a great way to use some of the leftover turkey, and I would like to try this – I’m a huge fan of casseroles, to me, their better than anything!
I have always liked casseroles because they are a great way to clear out the pantry. You can add vegetables, rice, and a variety of oddball ingredients into a casserole dish and it becomes a casserole and usually tastes pretty good.
This sounds absolutely delicious AND easy, too! I bet you could add rice to it also.
Thanks! You could totally add rice to this. Yummy!
mmmm cheesy goodness!!!
that looks delicious! Pinned and ready to use when we have leftover turkey!
That sounds amazing. I need to try that!
Wow I love this!! I think it sounds absolutely delicious!! I am going to have to make this!
Looks delicious! I have a turkey breast in the freezer that no doubt will be looking for a recipe like this after our first dinner. Thank you!
You know what? I’m not sure I’ve had leftovers from Thanksgiving last long enough so that I turned them into something else. They get gobbled up FAST!
You need to cook a bigger turkey this year, Liz, so you can make this. 🙂
Yum! I love the idea of using leftover turkey in this casserole.
Wow, this sounds delicious! THanks for sharing.
this sounds really good (and so does your turkey recipe)! we always have leftover turkey.
Oh ladies, you are killing me! This looks so good I might make it FOR Thanksgiving, LOL! I love the idea of a baked tortilla topping, brilliant!
It sounds delish! Turkey is always tasty, even as leftovers.
This looks so yummy! Pity we never have much leftover turkey around here. lol
I love making casseroles with leftovers! They are perfect to make and put in the freezer for a quick meal!
Yummy yum yummy. I am sitting here stuffed, and yet… I would eat this now. lol
This sounds very yummy! As a Canadian, my turkey leftovers were gone a month ago but I could easily do this with chicken!
Sounds good, I am always looking for new things to do with left over turkey
Love baking casserole dishes and this one looks especially tasty! Thanks for sharing!
What a great recipe for after Thanksgiving! 🙂
Looks delicious, wish I had some right now!!!
Looks delicious, wish I had some right now!!! Definitely a comfort food with the butter and cheese, but I like how it includes spinach to make you think it is a little healthy! =)
That looks so good. Can’t wait to try this out.
A great way to use those leftovers. We usually just have sandwiches.
I love making casseroles. My favorite is chicken rice casserole. I’d love to try and make this and see how it turns out!
That looks delish! I wish I was over for dinner
My family would love this! Looks delicious
Casseroles are the perfect fall dish and this one sounds delicious. Your photos look so good, too!
You are right I am always wondering what to do with the left over turkey, and I get tired of turkey and rice soup. This looks yummy.
Yum, I think my family would love this!!
This looks amazing, so yummy! I will have to make this for my family!
This looks like a very yummy casserole. We usually have a lot of guests for thanksgiving dinner. I do hope we have left over turkey so I can try this recipe. If not, there are so many good turkey recipes out there we just might need to cook and extra turkey. Enjoy your thanksgiving holiday.
This recipe looks awesome!! Great idea for using up the leftovers!
This sounds interesting! We never get the turkey leftovers, IF there are any. My MIL gets the meat leftovers for some reason.
Great recipe!! It’s always good to find recipes to find for leftover turkey. Turkey sandwiches are great, but they do get tiring after a while.
perfect timing that i found this!! we love thanksgiving leftovers!
Oh my yum, that looks delicious! Thanks for sharing.
since we are having turkey for thanksgiving, if we have any left overs i might make this – it sounds good. its nice to see something southwestern without the hot peppers in it – i dont care for those, so i think i would like this!
So excited about making this dish! Thanks
I love finding new recipes for leftover turkey. I didn’t make a big turkey this year, so don’t have quite 6 cups, but will have to see about this for after Christmas.
Diana C
Oooh, this is perfect for all that leftover turkey and nothing more satisfying than a casserole. Perfect marriage.
Is that green bell pepper? I just want to make sure I am getting the right green peppers.
Yes, it’s a green bell pepper. Can’t wait to hear how you like this recipe. 🙂
I was looking for a recipe for leftover turkey breast from Easter and found this recipe.I made this tonight and it was delicious. I only made half the recipe, added a can of drained black beans and added some fajita seasoning for more spice. I also mixed the cheese and chips together. It cooked up beautifully and did not fall apart when serving. My son ate three portions. I am giving it 5 stars and adding it to my keeper recipes. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.
I added a can of Rótel tomatoes and replaced the bell peppers with a small can of green chilies. Yum!
Hey dawn! Just saw your post from yesterday. I was thinking of doing the exact same thing, nixing the bell pepper and adding a small can of chopped green chilies. Also going to chop a medium tomato as an addition, my kiddos are not fond of Rotel. So yours turned out great?