This Leftover Turkey Baked Ziti is pure Italian magic with its creamy, saucy, and bubbling cheese layers! It transforms leftover Thanksgiving turkey, rotisserie chicken, boiled chicken, or grilled chicken into a complete comfort dinner with just a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on time.
This recipe is ultra cozy while remaining weeknight-dinner-easy. It also can be made gluten-free and dairy-free with zero sacrifice on flavor or texture!
This Leftover Turkey Baked Ziti is most popular the week after Thanksgiving, but it's still a trendsetter year-round! The ingredients are creamy and comforting without being too heavy, so it works well with leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken even in the Summer months.
This Italian-made-easy (and weeknight-friendly) recipe was its own independent creation, but it fits well alongside my One Pot Lasagna Soup and Italian Minestrone Soup.
For more easy Italian dinner recipes, check out my Dairy-Free Zuppa Toscana, Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore, Instant Pot Minestrone Soup, and Italian Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes.
For more cozy pasta dinners, try my Ground Lamb Ragu Pasta, Dairy-Free Vodka Sauce Pasta, Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta, One Pot Vegan Lentil Pasta, Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta, or see all of my pasta recipes here.
For the perfect Italian dessert pairing, try a Thick Italian Hot Chocolate or my Impossibly Authentic Dairy Free Tiramisu.
This simple pasta casserole was also an answer to reader requests for a baked pasta dish and more casserole recipes after my Easy Enchilada Casserole went viral.
How to make it (with photos)
Pantry staples plus cheese and leftover turkey or chicken are all you need to whip up this recipe. Plus just 10 minutes of hands-on time!
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This leftover turkey baked ziti recipe uses 10 simple ingredients!
Leftover Turkey or Chicken
Amazingly, the star of the show is your leftovers! If possible, I recommend shredding the leftover chicken or turkey into bite-sized pieces so it incorporates best. If it's easier, you can also chop it roughly.
If you plan on storing leftover baked ziti, I recommend using leftover chicken or turkey prepared no more than 2 days before making this recipe. You can also use leftover meat that was frozen within 2 days of cooking.
Ziti or Penne Pasta
Ziti or penne pasta work great in this recipe, even thought the recipe is traditionally prepared using ziti. I used gluten-free penne pasta (since gluten-free ziti is hard to find) and either will work just fine.
Gluten-free pasta absorbs more water than traditional pasta, so 12 ounces of gluten-free pasta is roughly equivalent to 1 pound of regular pasta. That's one full standard package of either version.
Mozzarella
Shredded mozzarella or dairy-free mozzarella serves as the cheese layer in this recipe. I use 2 cups, but you can add a bit more if you want it extra cheesy.
For the dairy-free version, I used Violife Mozzarella Shreds.
Pasta Sauce
Choose a pasta sauce with flavors you like! In a pinch, you could use marinara sauce plus added spices. But I like a simple jar of pasta sauce.
The Prego brand with tomato, basil, and garlic that I used was labeled gluten-free. It's becoming easier and easier to find safe store-bought staples like pasta sauce!
Full Fat Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream
Cream or milk keeps this recipe balanced and ultra cozy. Heavy cream and full fat coconut milk can be used interchangeably for a dairy-full or dairy-free version.
The coconut flavor is undetectable, and canned coconut milk is shelf-stable so it's a great ingredient staple.
Italian Seasoning blend
Any Italian Seasoning blend will work perfectly in this recipe. I used my DIY Italian Seasoning Blend which includes dried basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Marjoram is also a nice addition -- add just a pinch!
Make sure whichever blend you're using is gluten-free if needed.
You also need olive oil, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, and fresh basil makes a wonderful optional addition at the end.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make leftover turkey (or chicken) baked ziti with these easy steps.
- Pasta: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then make the ziti noodles in salted water according to the package instructions but drain just before they are al dente (a minute or two early).
- Sauce + Meat: To a large bowl, add the pasta sauce, olive oil, coconut milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently stir it all together, then stir in the leftover turkey.
- Layer: To the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, add a little bit of the sauce mixture to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then layer half the noodles followed by half the remaining sauce and half the cheese. Layer the rest of the noodles, sauce, and cheese.
- Bake + Broil: Bake covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. Then uncover and broil for 2 minutes on high (watch carefully to prevent burning). Serve with chopped fresh basil and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Make amazing leftover turkey baked ziti on the first try with these expert tips.
Shred the leftover turkey or chicken well.
When the shredded turkey is pasta sized or smaller, the sauce can fully coat the pieces and meld them right into the dish! Larger pieces will retain more of the flavors from the original dish.
Use lightly seasoned or Italian-seasoned leftovers.
This recipe works so well with leftover Thanksgiving turkey because it is usually seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and other spices that are Italian seasoning staples. Plain chicken or turkey works well too.
I would absolutely avoid any curried leftovers or strong flavors from spices that are not typically included in Italian cuisine.
Salt the pasta water.
For 1 pound of pasta, use 1 tablespoon of salt. It's more than most people think! Cooking the pasta in salted water allows the noodles to absorb the salt too. The whole dish will taste better this way!
Slightly undercook the pasta.
Cook the pasta until its just a bit firmer than al dente. I find cutting the boiling time by about 1-2 minutes and testing it for almost-doneness is a good place to stop and drain the pasta.
Add the fresh basil.
While not necessary for an amazing baked pasta recipe, fresh basil elevates this recipe to restaurant-quality. Without fresh herbs, I sometimes sprinkle on a little extra oregano or Italian seasoning before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this leftover turkey recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. I recommend using leftover chicken or turkey prepared no more than 2 days before making this recipe. You can also use leftover meat that was frozen within 2 days of cooking.
Yes -- You can freeze this recipe before baking and thaw overnight for best texture. Then bake after thawing. I usually freeze leftovers after baking in individual portions and the noodles do soften a bit when reheated, but it still holds together and is delicious!
Absolutely. Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature before assembling. Assemble up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover snugly, and refrigerate. You may need to bake for an extra 10 minutes or so -- the edges should be bubbly before you remove the foil to broil. If the pasta is looking dry, drizzle a couple tablespoons of water or broth over the noodles before baking (or before broiling)
Related cozy pasta recipes to consider...
Looking for other pasta recipes like this baked ziti? Check these out:
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📖 Recipe
Leftover Turkey Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti or penne pasta -- for gluten-free, use 12 ounces of gluten-free pasta*
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 cups leftover turkey or chicken , shredded or roughly chopped
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella or dairy-free mozzarella
- 1 bunch chopped fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Pasta: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then make the ziti noodles in salted water according to the package instructions but drain just before they are al dente (a minute or two early).16 ounces ziti or penne pasta
- Sauce + Meat: To a large bowl, add the pasta sauce, olive oil, cream or coconut milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently stir it all together, then stir in the leftover turkey or chicken.24 ounces pasta sauce, 1 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning blend, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2-3 cups leftover turkey or chicken
- Layer: To the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, add a little bit of the sauce mixture to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then layer half the noodles followed by half the remaining sauce and half the cheese. Layer the rest of the noodles, sauce, and cheese.2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Bake + Broil: Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes. Then uncover and broil for 2 minutes on high (watch carefully to prevent burning). Serve with chopped fresh basil and enjoy!
Selene says
This recipe is incredible! Super easy and really delicious. I’m already planning to make it next week.