Cheesy No Cheese Turkey Pasta Bake

Nobody I know eats turkey until Christmas and they all seem to be left with lots of meat after Christmas. To me, turkey seems to be ignored for the rest of year but at Christmas we tend to feast on it. It does make me chuckle.

Although, on a serious note I’m not a fan of waste so I have invented a few recipes for us to use up the leftover turkey. These recipes are also delicious with chicken too.

In the recipe below I have used cashew nut cream cheese but you could use cream cheese too. Turkey is a very plain meat so lots of condiments can be added to the dish to make it a tasty meal.

Do you use up the turkey? If so, what dishes do you like to cook the leftover turkey in? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.

Equipment

• Sharp Knife
• Chopping board
• Large pan x 2
• Stirring spoon
• Pirex dish
• Teaspoon

Ingredients

• Turkey x 500g (cooked or uncooked)
• Cashew nut cream cheese x 1 recipe
• Onion x 1
• Red pepper x 1
• Tinned tomatoes x 2
• Tamari x 2 tbsps
• Dried basil x 1 tsp
• Dried oregano x 1 tsp
• Garlic granules x 1 tsp
• Spinach x 2 large handfuls
• Pasta x 300g (I use gluten free pasta but you don’t have too)
• Ground flax seed x 4 tbsp
• Nutritional yeast x 2 tbsp (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for the pan

Method

• Peel and slice the onion and set aside.
• Cut the top from the pepper and remove the seeds from the inside.
• Slice the pepper and set aside.
• Put the large pan on a high heat and add oil to the base of the pan.
• Spread the oil across the base of the pan and wait for the pan to heat up.
• When the pan is hot, add the onion and fry until it’s see through/translucent.
• If using uncooked turkey, put it into the pan and fry until golden brown.
• Add in the peppers and fry for a further few minutes.
• Pour in the tomatoes and tamari.
• Stir everything round the pan and bring to the boil.
• Then turn the heat down and sprinkle over the oregano, garlic granules and basil.
• Leave to simmer for a good 20 minutes.
• Put another large pan on the hob and fill with water.
• Bring the water to the boil and add the pasta.
• Cook as per the packet instructions.
• If using cooked turkey add it into the sauce now.
• Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the sauce.
• Add in the cashew nut cream cheese and the spinach.
• Stir all of these ingredients together.
• Turn the grill onto high.
• Pour these ingredients into the Pirex dish and sprinkle over ground flax seed and nutritional yeast (optional).
• Put under the grill and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Then serve with a salad or cooked vegetables and enjoy.

Cheesy ‘No Cheese’ Turkey Pasta Bake was a big hit in this house. My husband Howard and son Ted really enjoyed this dish. The plates on the table were cleaned by the end of the meal. So a great dish to feed a family or a group of friends. The dish also makes a delicious leftover lunch too. Personally, I wouldn’t freeze this dish but it’s definitely a great one for leftovers. However you decide to eat this dish, as always, please enjoy.

Thank you. xxx