When it comes to leftover Thanksgiving food, nothing beats this leftover Thanksgiving casserole recipe. It's all the deliciousness without all the extra work.
Need a way to use up those delicious gluten-free Thanksgiving leftovers? Then you need to make this quick and easy leftover Thanksgiving casserole. This casserole is known in our house as stuffing casserole because, let's be honest gluten-free stuffing is a must-have at Thanksgiving. I actually tend to always make extras because my family loves it, and they always make sure there are extras to make this gluten-free casserole to enjoy after Thanksgiving. If you need a quick and easy way to use up those leftovers, give this recipe a try.
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Ingredients.
The beauty of this leftover Thanksgiving casserole is you can customize it the way you want to, with your leftovers. Here are a few of my family favorites to add each year.
- Diced Ham or Turkey. - You can also use a combination of both; it's delicious.
- Mashed Potatoes. - This helps hold it all together.
- Gravy - Gluten-free gravy drizzled in is the ultimate touch to this gluten-free casserole and the perfect excuse not to waste the goodness.
- Veggies. - I always stir in some leftovers of my gluten-free green bean casserole and leftover roasted carrots. If you don't have any leftover vegetables feel free to stir in corn, peas, or any vegetable of choice.
- Gluten-free stuffing - When you're gluten-free, you know how important gluten-free stuffing is. We will be topping this leftover Thanksgiving casserole with the stuffing, so be sure to save just a bit. If you're not gluten-free, feel free to use your favorite stuffing.
Optional ingredients.
- Cranberry sauce - I personally don't add my gluten-free cranberry sauce to the casserole. I prefer it on the side. But if you love cranberry sauce, feel free to drizzle some in. If you are using turkey in your casserole, you can toss it in the cranberry sauce for a delicious addition.
- Mac and cheese. - I don't usually have a ton of leftovers when I make my gluten-free mac and cheese for Thanksgiving, so I don't typically add it. But if you do, and you love it, feel free to add some to the casserole.
- Cheddar cheese. - If you don't have any leftover stuffing but you have a ton of mashed potatoes, feel free to top with the mashed potatoes and then sprinkle the top with cheese before baking. It will create a delicious gluten-free cheesy potato casserole.
- Gluten-free bread crumbs. - If you don't have any leftover gluten-free stuffing but want that breading topping, feel free to use some gluten-free bread crumbs on top instead for that little bit of crispy breaded topping.
There really is no wrong way to make this leftover Thanksgiving casserole.
Steps.
- Gather your leftovers.
- Layer a lightly greased casserole dish with mashed potatoes.
- Once you have your mashed potato base, start layering any other meats and vegetables that you want to use.
- Top with another layer of mashed potatoes.
- Over the potatoes, meat and veggies, drizzle the gravy.
- Then top the whole casserole with your leftover gluten-free stuffing.
- Bake for about 30 minutes. or until the casserole is warmed through, and enjoy.
Tips and tricks.
- Use what you like and not what you don't. - Don't try and add a recipe to your casserole just because it's a leftover. If you don't like it by itself, you aren't likely to like it in this leftover casserole either.
- Don't be afraid to experiment. - This leftover Thanksgiving casserole is honestly never the same from year to year, and to me, that's the fun part. Using up leftovers without them getting boring is what this gluten-free casserole recipe is all about.
Make ahead.
Yes, you can make this leftover casserole ahead of time. I love to keep a spare casserole dish ready on Thanksgiving. Then when I am putting leftovers away, I'll assemble the casserole, so it's already ready to go for the weekend ahead. It's the best of both worlds, cleaning up and making dinner ahead of time.
Pro tip: This is also a delicious and easy way to send leftovers to your guests. Just use a disposable baking tray and assemble the casseroles to their liking before they head out the door.
Storing and reheating.
Store your leftover Thanksgiving casserole in a container in the fridge.
To reheat, you can either pop it into a 350-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until it is warmed through. You can also warm individual portions in the microwave in 30-second increments until it is warmed through.
If you do not plan on eating it within 2-3 days, I suggest freezing individual portions to save for longer.
More ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
When it comes to using up leftovers from Thanksgiving, don't be stuck with boring turkey sandwiches. Swapping leftover ham for bacon in my gluten-free sweet potato breakfast hash will wow any guests that are staying for the weekend. You can also make that leftover turkey shine in some of our family favorites, like gluten-free chicken noodle soup, or check out some of these.
📖 Recipe
Leftover Thanksgiving Casserole (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 2-3 Cups Diced Meat of Choice Turkey, Ham or a combination of what is leftover.
- 3-4 Cups Leftover Mashed Potatoes You can also use leftover sweet potatoes or if you made scalloped potatoes.
- 2 Cups Leftover Mixed Vegetables Use what you like, leftover green bean casserole, carrots or stir in some corn, peas or other vegetables of choice.
- ½-1 Cup Leftover Gravy
- 2-4 Cups Leftover Gluten-free Stuffing See notes for if you don't have any leftover.
See notes for additional possible ingredients.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °Fdegrees.
- Gather your leftovers.
- Lightly grease a casserole dish.
- Layer some of the leftover mashed potatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish.3-4 Cups Leftover Mashed Potatoes
- Once you have your potato base, layer in the meats of choice, along with any of the vegetables.2-3 Cups Diced Meat of Choice, 2 Cups Leftover Mixed Vegetables
- Then top the remaining potatoes.
- Drizzle the gravy over the potatoes.½-1 Cup Leftover Gravy
- Over the last layer of mashed potatoes, top the entire casserole dish with the leftover gluten-free stuffing.2-4 Cups Leftover Gluten-free Stuffing
- Bake the leftover Thanksgiving casserole in the preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until it is warmed through.
Notes
- Cranberry sauce. - I personally don't add my gluten-free cranberry sauce to the casserole. I prefer it on the side. But if you love cranberry sauce, feel free to drizzle some in. If you are using turkey in your casserole, you can toss it in the cranberry sauce for a delicious addition.
- Mac and cheese. - I don't usually have a ton of leftovers when I make my gluten-free mac and cheese for Thanksgiving, so I don't typically add it. But if you do, and you love it, feel free to add some to the casserole.
- Cheddar cheese. - If you don't have any leftover stuffing but you have a ton of mashed potatoes, feel free to top with the mashed potatoes and then sprinkle the top with cheese before baking. It will create a delicious gluten-free cheesy potato casserole.
- Gluten-free bread crumbs. - If you don't have any leftover gluten-free stuffing but want that breading topping, feel free to use some gluten-free bread crumbs on top instead for that little bit of crispy breaded topping.
- Use what you like and not what you don't. - Don't try and add a recipe to your casserole just because it's a leftover. If you don't like it by itself, you aren't likely to like it in this leftover casserole either.
- Don't be afraid to experiment. - This leftover Thanksgiving casserole is honestly never the same from year to year, and to me, that's the fun part. Using up leftovers without them getting boring is what this gluten-free casserole recipe is all about.
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