This Spaghetti Casserole is easy and perfect for your weeknight dinner! Spaghetti Casserole is a perfect use up for letover turkey or ham! It’s creamy, cheesy and oh, so good!!
Looking for a different use up for your leftover turkey or ham from the holidays! We have been making this one for years! It is totally customizable, in the fact that you can add any vegetable you like, and even whatever meat you like. Try browned ground beef, even.
A mixture of cheeses, or a single cheese can be chosen, that is up to you, as well! Just remember that mild cheeses will melt better, giving you a creamier sauce. Sharp cheeses can be added in lesser quantities to boost the flavor profile.
The other bonus, for me at least, is that it is made without dairy milk. I use this Evaporated Milk Substitute to make it extra thick and creamy!
You can use canned evaporated milk, if you choose to. If you don’t have any evaporated milk in the pantry, just use milk. It will still thicken up for you nicely!
So basically, this Spaghetti Casserole is a kicked up macaroni and cheese!
How to Make Spaghetti Casserole
- Melt butter in medium saucepan. Heat milk or evaporated milk in a separate pan.
- When butter bubbles, add flour, all at once. Whisk until fully incorporated and bubbly.
- Pour in heated milk, all at once. Season with white pepper and a bit of nutmeg.
- Cook and whisk over medium heat, until thickened an creamy. Add cheese. After cheese melts, taste and adjust salt.
- Dice turkey or ham into bite sized pieces.
- Cook spaghetti, according to package directions. Drain. Add half of cheese sauce to spaghetti and combine.
- Add turkey or ham and frozen peas.
- Combine.
- Turn pasta into baking dish. Top with remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle top of casserole with bread crumbs.
Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, until hot and slightly bubbly.
Can spaghetti casserole be frozen?
This recipe will serve a large crowd. If you want to separate the mixture into several smaller casseroles, it will freeze very well.
Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake according to directions. It may take up to an hour to heat through, if the casserole is cold.
Other easy recipes that utilize this cheese sauce
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
- Mac and Cheese
- Burritos with Cheese Sauce
- Cauliflower au Gratin
That’s how easy it is to make this homemade Spaghetti Casserole, to use up the leftovers from your holiday meals.
I hope you like the recipe today!
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Tools I Use to Make Spaghetti Casserole
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Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
Xoxo,
Spaghetti Casserole for Leftover Turkey or Ham
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups Milk
- 1 tsp white pepper
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 cups mixed cheeses
- 1 lb spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
- 2 cups diced turkey or ham
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
Instructions
- Melt butter in medium saucepan. Heat milk or evaporated milk in a separate pan
- When butter bubbles, add flour, all at once. Whisk until fully incorporated and bubbly.
- Pour in heated milk, all at once. Season with white pepper and a bit of nutmeg.
- Cook and whisk over medium heat, until thickened an creamy. Add cheese. After cheese melts, taste and adjust salt.
- Dice turkey or ham into bite sized pieces.
- Cook spaghetti, according to package directions. Drain. Add half of cheese sauce to spaghetti and combine.
- Add turkey or ham and frozen peas.
- Combine.
- Turn pasta into baking dish. Top with remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle top of casserole with bread crumbs.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, until hot and slightly bubbly.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published 1/14/2019
Love, love, love using leftovers! This is genius! I love pasta so whatever you put in there will make me happy. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks Lesli! I’m glad you like this! I agree! I love using leftovers!
What a wonderful lazy day meal, this is similar to something my Mum would cook to use up leftover roast meat from Sunday lunch. So many great food memories 😀
That is so true! Food can totally bring back wonderful memories! Thank you Brian!
This sounds delicious to me, I’ve never had anything like it! It looks so easy to make as well.
It is really easy! Thanks so much for the comment, Jeannette!
Looks like a comforting meal, and as you say a great way to use up some leftovers as well. Easy meals are always welcome after holidays!
That is so true! We always work so hard to make the holiday meals special and delicious, it’s nice to have easy things. Caroline.
Yum!! I have leftover ham from Christmas (frozen, of course) and what a perfect way to use it! Thanks for sharing!!
I love doing that, freezing some leftover meat, and transforming it at a later date, into something delicious! Thanks for the comment, Susan!
This is the kind of stick to ma ribs meal I need today as I’m in the middle of packing and moving!
Oh, bless you! I hate moving! Good luck! Thanks for your comment, Shashi!
This is delicious and perfect for my family. Such dishes are a grab at my Dinner Table and surely need to take a try. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
Thank you Veena! We love easy casseroles like this, as well! I hope you enjoy!
My kids would definitely be a fan of this spaghetti casserole. Pasta and cheese – can’t lose!
Agreed! PAsta is cheese is kind of a win-win situation!! Thanks so much, Jill!
This recipe looks like a good comfort meal that’s easy to prepare. I love spaghetti in casseroles.
Perfect for this hideously cold weather we have been having around me this winter! Thanks Sally!
Absolutely nothing can go wrong when you combine pasta with cheese! We used to make something like this when I was a kid with just whatever we had in the refrigerator. Always so delicious
You are so right there! Thank you Carmella! It is a good way to clean out the refrigerator!