It’s time to put your Thanksgiving turkey (or chicken) leftovers to good use in this Baked Tortellini with Turkey, Butternut Squash & Chard recipe.
For those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, I hope you had a wonderful day with family and friends. Now that the festivities are over, you’re lying on the couch, aren’t you? Sweatpants on, hair unbrushed and surrounded by magazines you’ve been hoping to read for months. You did enough cooking yesterday to last you a year and now you don’t want to make anything that requires hours of effort or pounds of butter. So, let’s put those turkey leftovers to good use. Last year, I made a Turkey, Brie, Pear & Cherry Chipotle Panini that was out of this world. In fact, there are plans for a repeat this weekend. This year, it’s baked tortellini, mixed with turkey, butternut squash (you could also used leftover sweet potatoes) and Swiss chard. It’s healthy, it feeds a crowd and, best of all, it’s easy.
The recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place butternut squash pieces into a steamer, cover and cook until butternut squash is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook about 2 minutes less than directed by package instructions. Drain tortellini and transfer to a large bowl.
Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce, mashed butternut squash, turkey and chard.
Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer half of the tortellini mixture to the baking dish and spread evenly. Top with 3/4 cup tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Transfer the remaining tortellini mixture to the baking dish, spreading evenly. Spread remaining 3/4 cup tomato sauce over top.
For the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together Parmesan cheese, sage and pecans.
Evenly sprinkle the topping over the casserole. Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve.
Other recipes with leftover turkey:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Turkey, Brie, Pear & Cherry Chipotle Panini
Family Fresh Cooking’s Turkey, Sweet Potato, Goat Cheese & Fig Pizza
Panini Happy’s Thanksgiving Turkey Reuben
Tidy Mom’s Turkey Caesar Sandwiches
Baked Tortellini with Turkey, Butternut Squash & Chard Recipe
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 667kcal Calories from fat 249 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat 10g | 50% |
| Transfat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 97mg | 32% |
| Sodium 1452mg | 61% |
| Carbohydrate 71g | 24% |
| Dietary Fiber 8g | 32% |
| Sugars 7g | |
| Protein 38g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
Ingredients
- 2 cups butternut squash cubes (about 1/2 inch)
- 24 oz. cheese tortellini
- 3 cups tomato sauce, divided
- 2 cups chopped turkey (white & dark meat)
- 2 1/2 cups Swiss chard (strips cut crosswise)
- 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
Topping
- 3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place butternut squash pieces into a steamer, cover and cook until butternut squash is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mash with the back of a fork. Set aside
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook about 2 minutes less than directed by package instructions. Drain tortellini and transfer to a large bowl.
- Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce, mashed butternut squash, turkey and chard.
- Spread ¾ cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.
- Transfer half of the tortellini mixture to the baking dish and spread evenly.
- Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
- Transfer the remaining tortellini mixture to the baking dish, spreading evenly. Spread remaining ¾ cup tomato sauce over top.
- For the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together Parmesan cheese, sage and pecans.
- Evenly sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Great idea to use up turkey making it completely different!
carrian says
Lovely recipe, colors, and photo! Annnnnd, I happen to have all of the ingredients just waiting to be used!
Traci says
Great idea for leftover turkey! Definetely going to try it. My family gets sick of leftover turkey sandwiches quickly. 🙂
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
I always have a bag of fresh tortellini in the fridge. It has saved my life more than once! I love making cold salads in the summer and bulking up mac and cheese variations in the winter. This recipe is definitely going into my rotation.
Jen at The Three Little Piglets says
That would be perfect except that I’ve already eaten all the leftovers!! Hope you had a lovely holiday!
Steve @ the black peppercorn says
Being a Canadian, I had already celebrated my Thanksgiving weeks earlier as well. This looks great and an excellent use of leftover turkey. I put up a recipe for leftover turkey on my site today as well. Canucks think alike I guess!
Chris @ TheKeenanCookbook says
Oh man this looks good! Wish I had caught up on my RSS box before food shopping – we are planning a casserole with the last of our turkey. But man does this look good. We love the flavor and texture of butternut squash.
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I used your turkey herb butter to season my brined bird – it came out fantastic. 🙂
Simply Tia says
I’m gonna have to try this really soon!
Belinda @zomppa says
Love how seasonal and beautiful these are! Hope you had a lovely Thankgiving!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
This looks amazing! Wow!
Maria says
Perfect way to use up those leftovers!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
Looks so filling and delicious.
Julie M. says
This looks amazing Dara! I have to say, one of my favorite aspects of Thanksgiving is enjoying the leftovers after the fact.
Sandy says
This is the tastiest way to use leftovers that I have seen. I wish I had some leftovers, turkey sandwiches are the best part!
I guess that is a very small price to pay for having so many family members together for a great day. Hope your holiday was just as nice!
bridget {bake at 350} says
That looks so, so good!!!
Dara says
I loooove chard! What a fabulous recipe – taking advantage of yummy late fall produce. Plus, tortellini are delicious.
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Yep, turkey and swiss sounds like a GREAT idea. Such PRETTY leftovers. 🙂
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
Love this idea for a baked casserole. Butternut squash and swiss chard are two of my favorite things!
Jeanette says
Like this unique way of using up leftover turkey – wish we still had some so I could give this a try…will have to keep it for next year.
Liz says
Mmmmm…I love when the turkey leftover dishes are almost as fabulous as the turkey dinner! This looks amazing!
Diane {Created by Diane} says
sounds great, love leftover dishes 🙂
Magic of Spice says
What a great combination of flavors…beautiful dish!
Marina {Yummy Mummy} says
These are literally all my favorite ingredients in one beautiful baked dish! Definitely making this!
Marla says
Love all the squash you have been using 🙂
marla says
Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post 🙂
Megan {Country Cleaver} says
How did I just see this on Pinterest NOW?!?! I’ve been missing out and this looks scrumptious Dara!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Megan! It’s one I make every year with our turkey leftovers.
Lola says
Well,I’m afraid I don’t have all the ingredients at home. No tortellini : ( Can you suggest a substitute? maybe egg noodles or penne pasta? THANKS
Dara says
Yes, you could certainly substitute a plain (non-filled) pasta, but it won’t be quite the same because you’ll be missing the taste of the filling. Ravioli would be a good substitute for the tortellini.
Lola says
hmmmm, same problem with ravioli (don’t stock it- it’s also filled, no?) I think there are enough yummy ingredients that it’ll be good with plain pasta. THANKS