This is a post by staff writer Yazmin Cruz.

I haven’t tired of Thanksgiving leftovers. How about you? This year I tried a new recipe using leftover turkey and it was SO delicious that I’m  sharing the recipe — it’s a must try!

I found the recipe in Rachel Ray’s 365: No Repeats and in true Rachel Ray style it only takes 30 minutes to put together.  I made several changes to the recipe to use items I already had at home. Need another recipe to use up Thanksgiving leftovers? Try this tasty pot pie recipe.

Ingredients

Kosher salt and pepper

1/2 pound of pasta

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 slices of turkey bacon

1 1/3 pounds of turkey

1 pound Cremini mushrooms

1 medium onion

2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf pasley

Directions

Cook pasta (or egg noodles)  al dente as indicated on the package. I used whole wheat Shell pasta. In a large deep skillet, add olive oil and turkey bacon. Cook for 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the turkey and saute to soak up the flavor of the bacon. Move the turkey to the side of the skillet and add mushrooms and onions. Cook them for about 4 minutes or till onions are translucent. Season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle thyme. I used the fresh stuff from my garden, but you can swap in the dried stuff (just use a little less). Empty skillet in the casserole dish you’ll be using. Then bring back skillet to the heat to deglaze with chicken stock. Make sure to scrape all the yummy brown bits from the bottom. Allow to boil and add cream. Reduce heat to low and add nutmeg. Make sure to taste the seasoning.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler to high. Then combine the turkey, sauce, and pasta. Grease your casserole dish to prevent sticking. Top with Gruyere cheese and crumbs. I used panko bread crumbs. Brown for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread crumbs are crispy. Garnish with parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings.

We had warm bread on the side. Try our no-knead bread recipe, or learn to make delicious salads in a pinch. What did you make with your Thanksgiving leftovers?