Turkey and Butternut Squash Bake

This recipe is gooooood. Even if you have never had squash, or if you think you don't like squash, this is really tasty. I altered a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens to make more of a casserole (and use up leftover turkey).

Turkey and Butternut Squash Bake

2 c. chopped turkey (cooked)
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 T. olive oil
8 oz. dried extra-wide noodles
4 T. butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 T. lemon juice
1 package light cream cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 c. panko or bread crumbs (maybe a good use for leftover rolls?)

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, toss the squash cubes in the oil. Place in a rectangular baking dish and cook for 30 minutes, stirring twice.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, set aside. In the same pot, melt 2 T. of the butter. Add the onions and stir. Cook the onions over medium heat until translucent. Stir in lemon juice. Add noodles to the onion mixture, then stir in the cream cheese, 1/2 of the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the cooked squash cubes and chopped turkey.

Put mixture in a baking dish, and top with the panko/bread crumbs and remaining butter and Parmesan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Leftover Turkey Mac Recipe

I am big on throwing in a little of this or that into recipes (and rarely follow any recipe to the letter, except when baking). Hence the title of the blog. This week I had a little bit of leftover turkey breast from one my husband roasted a few days ago. I also had some leftover canned pumpkin from some pumpkin pancakes. And pasta was on sale this week at the grocery store, so hence ... turkey mac and cheese. It was yummy. And easy. And you can use any combo of meat or veggie that you want, which makes it a good clear-the-fridge recipe. Feel free to tinker! I starred the items that I feel are easily interchangeable (or just plain leave-outable). This would be a nice recipe post-Thanksgiving when you are faced with a fridge full of leftovers.

Preheat oven to 375.

Ingredients:

Sauce:
2 T. Butter
1 T. Olive oil
3 T. flour
(about) 1 c. water or broth or stock
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 T. dijon mustard
2/3 c. canned pumpkin*
1 can cream of mushroom soup
A couple shakes of the worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. plain greek yogurt (or sour cream, and you can use light or fat free if you like)
Salt and pepper

Guts:
1 package elbow pasta (or whatever shape you like), cooked
1 c. diced cooked turkey breast*
1 c. frozen peas/carrots mix, thawed and warmed*
1 c. frozen broccoli, thawed and warmed*

Topping:
1/4 cup panko or bread crumbs

In a big pan, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. You are making a roux so when it's melted, whisk in your flour. Whisk fairly constantly until the flour mix is a nice shade of light brown. Slowly whisk in the liquid (either water or broth, whatever you have), so there are hopefully no lumps. You can adjust the amount of liquid to make sure this base is a sort of slurry, you don't want a lumpy paste. Add the grated cheese, then all the other sauce ingredients except the yogurt/sour cream. Stir to combine and melt the cheese. Remove from heat, add the yogurt/sour cream and combine, then add the guts you will be using. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish (probably should spray a coating of Pam in the pan before you do this). Add the bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes. If you like a brown topping, turn the oven to broil and broil for 2 minutes (watch it like a hawk!).

I wish I had taken a picture, but I didn't, so sorry about that. But the mustard and sharp cheese combo was really good together. You couldn't really taste the pumpkin, but it did add a really nice orangey color to the sauce.