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Leftover Turkey Casserole has brown rice and mushrooms, and uses sour cream, cheese, and thyme to make a creamy sauce with no canned soup! And this casserole to make with leftover turkey has been popular for years!

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Leftover Turkey Casserole shown in glass casserole dish on napkin

My blog has lots of ideas for leftover turkey, but for this day-after-Thanksgiving Friday Favorites pick, I’m reminding you about this Leftover Turkey Casserole that’s one of my go-to favorites to make when I have turkey. And this recipe has been super popular on the blog!

This casserole has turkey, mushrooms, sour cream, onions, cheese, poultry seasoning, and thyme. And it does have some brown rice, but the casserole doesn’t have much rice compared to the other ingredients. This casserole to make with leftover turkey has 16 net carbs in a serving; you decide whether that’s too much of a splurge for you on the day after Thanksgiving!)

And if you decide you prefer a turkey casserole that’s more strictly low-carb, I have a very-popular Cauliflower Rice Casserole that uses leftover turkey too! The low-carb variation is equally delicious with similar flavors, and no matter which one you choose, you can’t go wrong with a casserole that has turkey, mushrooms, cheese, and thyme!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What brown rice do I use for Leftover Turkey Casserole?

I use Ben’s Original Brown Rice (affiliate link) whenever I want brown rice. Ben’s converted rice is lower on the glycemic index than most other types of brown or white rice.

Want strictly Low-Carb Ideas for leftover turkey?

For leftover turkey ideas that are low in carbs or Keto, check out check out Low-Carb Leftover Turkey Recipes or Low-Carb and Keto Turkey Soup Recipes.

Want more ideas for using Leftover Turkey?

If you’re not quite ready to go back to strictly low-carb just yet, check out my Healthy Recipes for Leftover Turkey for leftover turkey recipes that are carb-conscious but not strictly low in carbs.

Leftover Turkey Casserole collage of recipe steps

How to make Leftover Turkey Casserole:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Cook the brown rice; I used my much-loved Zojirushi Rice Cooker (affiliate link) to make the rice.
  2. Cut up leftover turkey or chicken.
  3. Wash, slice, and saute the mushrooms.
  4. Whisk together the stock and sour cream; then stir in the Parmesan and 1 cup grated cheese.
  5. Remove mushrooms to a plate; then add a little more oil and saute the onions with the herbs.
  6. When onions are starting to brown, turn off heat, add the mushrooms and turkey and stir, then gently stir in the rice.
  7. Add the sour cream/cheese mixture and gently combine, then put that mixture into a casserole dish.
  8. Top the casserole with the rest of the cheese, cover with foil, and bake about 20 minutes.
  9. Then remove foil and bake about 20 minutes more, or until the cheese is starting to lightly brown and the mixture is hot and bubbling.
  10. Serve hot and enjoy!
  11. This will keep well in the fridge and can be reheated in a microwave or in a pan on the stove. The casserole also freezes well.

Leftover Turkey Casserole shown in casserole dish

More Tasty Casseroles with Leftover Turkey or Chicken:

Leftover Turkey Casserole with Brown Rice and Mushrooms finished casserole in baking dish
Yield: 8 servings

Leftover Turkey Casserole

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

This tasty Leftover Turkey Casserole has brown rice and mushrooms, and it's the perfect thing to make with leftover turkey or make it with chicken if you don't have any turkey!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice (see notes)
  • 3 cups diced leftover turkey, cut in 1/2 inch dice
  • 16 oz. brown mushrooms, washed, thickly sliced, slices cut in half
  • 2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil (or more, depending on your pan)
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups Four Cheese Mexican Blend
  • 1 onion, diced into small pieces
  • 2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. ground poultry seasoning (see note after the recipe if you don’t have poultry seasoning)
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook brown rice following package directions or using a rice cooker. (I used my much-loved Zojirushi Rice Cooker (affiliate link) to make the rice).
  2. Preheat oven to 375F/190C and spray a glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray. (I used an 8.5 inch X 12.5 inch dish, but it could have been slightly smaller.)
  3. Dice up enough leftover turkey or chicken to make about 2 cups.
  4. Wash mushrooms and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Cut mushrooms into thick slices, then cut slices in half.
  5. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in heavy non-stick pan and saute mushrooms until they’re starting to brown and all liquid has evaporated. Remove mushrooms to a plate.
  6. While the mushrooms cook, whisk together sour cream and chicken stock (or turkey stock), then stir in coarsely grated parmesan cheese and 1 cup grated low-fat cheese.
  7. In same frying pan where you cooked the mushrooms, add 1 tsp. more olive oil and heat, then add onions and saute 3-4 minutes until onions are softened.
  8. Add thyme, Poultry Seasoning (affiliate link), salt, and pepper, and cook about 2 minutes more.
  9. After onions are cooked, turn off heat, add mushrooms and diced turkey into pan with the onion-herb mixture, and stir to combine.
  10. Add rice and gently stir until all the meat and vegetables are evenly distributed in the rice.
  11. Gently stir the sour cream mixture into the rice mixture.
  12. Spoon the mixture into the casserole dish and press down to evenly distribute. Sprinkle with second cup of grated low-fat cheese.
  13. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  14. Remove foil and bake about 20 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned and the casserole is bubbling.
  15. Serve hot.
  16. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for several days and can be reheated in a microwave or in a pan. This casserole also freezes well.

Notes

Long grain brown rice is best for this recipe; I use lower-glycemic Uncle Ben's Brown Rice (affiliate link). This is great made with homemade chicken stock (or turkey stock) but make with chicken broth from a can if you don't have that.

Poultry Seasoning (affiliate link) usually has ingredients like sage, white pepper, red and green bell pepper, lemon peel, savory, rosemary, dill weed, allspice, thyme, marjoram, and ginger. If you don’t have it, just use a pinch of what you have.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 290Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 83mgSodium 393mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 22g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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© Kalyn Denny
Category: Casseroles
square image of Leftover Turkey Casserole in casserole dish

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Leftover Turkey Casserole isn’t super high in carbs; check the nutritional information to see what you think. With ingredients like brown rice, mushrooms, and turkey, if you use low-fat cheese as recommended this Leftover Turkey Casserole would be a good option for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casseroles to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index  to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This favorite casserole recipe using leftover turkey was first posted in 2009. It’s been popular through the years, and the recipe has been updated with better photos. The post was last updated with more information in 2024.

Pinterest image of Leftover Turkey Casserole

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