How do you shred turkey?

When it comes to shredding your leftover turkey, you can either use two forks or you can use meat shredder claws. Meat claws are perfect for making shredded pork, but would also work really well for this leftover turkey lasagna recipe. They’re also really fun to use!

What’s the best cheese to use for lasagna?

There are lots of different cheeses you can use with this leftover turkey lasagna. I’ve gone for parmesan and buffalo mozzarella. You can also use the likes of cheddar, cream cheese or ricotta cheese. If you prefer the flavor and are looking for extra healthy recipes, sour cream can also be used.

Can turkey lasagna be made in advance?

Yes! In fact, it will most likely taste better if you make it beforehand, as the flavors intensify. You can make it up to two days in advance.

How do you store this turkey lasagna?

Store it in the fridge covered with foil until you’re ready to cook it. If you have leftovers of your leftovers, you should also store them in the fridge.

Leftover Turkey Lasagna | Greedy Gourmet

Description

Not sure what to do with your turkey leftovers? This is the perfect recipe for you. Follow our easy instructions on how to make a tasty Leftover Turkey Lasagna.

Ingredients

Scale

Turkey Ragu

60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
5 onions, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 celery stalks, grated
4 carrots, grated
2 sprigs (1½ tsp) fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
3g (1 tablespoon) dried oregano
4 x 400g (4 x 15oz) canned plum tomatoes
500ml (2 cup) red wine
1kg (7 cups) leftover turkey, shredded

Bechamel sauce

1L (4 cups) milk
5 peppercorns
75g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter
75g (½ cup) plain flour
100g (1 cup) grated Parmesan cheese

Assembly

Turkey Ragu
Bechamel sauce
15 lasagna sheets
2 x 125g (2 x 4oz) balls of buffalo mozzarella
100g (1 cup) grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

For the Turkey Ragu: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the onions and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium-low and add the carrot and celery. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened.
Once the vegetables have softened, add the rosemary, oregano, plum tomatoes and red wine.
Bring to the boil. After about 5 minutes, crush up the tomatoes with the back of your spoon and add salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for around 1 hour or until thickened. Remember to stir every now and then.
Stir the shredded turkey through the ragu sauce and stir until the meat is heated through. If the sauce becomes too thick then loosen with a splash of water.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/356°F/gas mark 4.
For the Bechamel Sauce: [Optional] Pour the milk into a sauce pan over a low heat and add the peppercorns and the onion and garlic skins and gently heat until you see steam coming off the top. *See Notes
In a different saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, which will then form a paste. Cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. We do this to cook off the flour.
[If you did Step 9] Remove the peppercorns and skins from the milk.
Beat the milk into the butter flour mixture, a little at a time. I use a ladle as this gives me greater control of how much I’m putting in.
Once all the milk has been added, bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for around 5 minutes or until you have a nice smooth, thick sauce.
Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and season to taste.
Assembling the Lasagna: Now in a large, deep rectangular baking dish layer the ingredients.
Start with a layer of lasagna sheets then spoon in a thin layer of the Turkey Ragu.
Layer the lasagna sheets on top of the ragu. Spoon a thin layer of the Bechamel Sauce over the lasagna sheets. Repeat this process until you reach the top of the baking dish. I usually get 4 layers but try and get more if you can.
Your top layer will be lasagna sheets topped with bechamel sauce.
Tear the mozzarella balls into bite-sized pieces and distribute evenly on top of the Bechamel Sauce.
Finish off with some grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
I like to make this a couple of days before serving to allow the flavours to intensify, so cover in tin foil and place in the fridge.
If you also choose to do this then on the day of eating preheat the oven back up to 180°C/160°C fan/356°F/Gas mark 4.
Remove from the fridge and place in the oven, with the tin foil still on, and place into the oven for around 40-60 minutes. Using the knife test, place the knife into the middle of the lasagna for around 10 seconds, remove the knife and tap onto your bottom lip. If the knife is hot then the lasagna is ready and you should remove it from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Serve up and enjoy!!

Notes

When preparing the vegetables, use the grater function on your food processor as this will save you time, and put each type into a different bowl as this will make the steps easier later.
We used chianti red wine.
For a more aromatic Bechamel Sauce, reserve the onion and garlic skins when you prepare the vegetables for the ragu and add them to the milk for the Bechamel Sauce.
The number of lasagna sheets will vary according to your preference. It depends on how many layers you want your lasagna to have. The more you prefer, the more sheets you will need. This will affect the quantity of filling used as well. Play around!
If you are cooking and eating the lasagna on the same day, you don't need to place the lasagne into the fridge.
If you find that you have lots of left-over celery that you won't use today, check out my guide on freezing celery so it doesn't just go to waste!

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Bake
Cuisine: Italian