Leftover Turkey Baked Ziti

This Leftover Turkey Baked Ziti is pure Italian magic with its creamy, saucy, and bubbling cheese layers! Throw it together in just 15 minutes.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main

Cuisine Italian, American

Keyword leftover turkey recipes, leftover chicken recipes, turkey baked ziti, chicken baked ziti

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 22

Total Time 37

Servings

Calories 309kcal

Author Jamie

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!

Notes

*Since gluten-free pasta absorbs more water, 12 ounces is about the same volume as 16 ounces of regular pasta. I make this recipe gluten-free.

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.

Storage: Store leftover turkey baked ziti 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.

Nutrition