My new gluten free cheesy Creole turkey pasta transforms leftover turkey into an unforgettable kid-friendly family meal, y'all. The browned Cajun trinity, garlic, and Rotel tomatoes with green chiles sets the layered flavor stage. Then, roast turkey breast, and a cup or so of my Cajun smothered green beans get stirred into an ooey-gooey three-cheese sauce. Finally, a quick toss with half-cooked gluten free spiral pasta finishes off the dish that bakes into creamy, can't-stop-won't-stop deliciousness. Yep and yay...
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Don't You Just Hate Wondering What to Do with the Last of your holiday turkey leftovers???
Mark and I have sooo much turkey over the last couple of weeks. Since I updated my Cajun roast turkey breast post, we had that for dinner and then lunch. And then again for a sandwich snack, I do believe, too.
Then, I cooked another turkey, and we ate turkey once again at my family's Thanksgiving. So, we came right back home to turkey in the fridge, and I of course was in charge of making turkey leftovers into anything and everything that I could think of as to not waste the meat. (Or let it sit in the freezer until we completely forgot about it.)
Well, last night after like eight turkey meals, I was ready to pack it up for the freezer when I had a sudden thought: What if I just make a pasta with this last batch? Something creamy and over-the-top, with enough pasta and cheese to make us feel like we were finally eating a post-holiday meal.
I liked that thought so much that I abandoned my turkey-freezing plans. And got busy creating this gluten free cheesy Creole turkey pasta right then and there....
And I'm sooo glad that I did, y'all, cause this recipe baby is going on the regular rotation whenever we have turkey on hand. And it's honestly sooo good that I might make a turkey breast or two just so that we can have this comfort food yum-deliciousness again and again and again!! Yep!!
How to Make Gluten Free Cheesy Creole Turkey Pasta Like a Champ
Begin the cheesy Creole turkey pasta by pulling the turkey off of the bone. Then, boil about 10 ounces of gluten free pasta in water. Let the noodles go until about half of the cooking time stated on the box. Set both aside, then start to brown the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery in a cast iron skillet:
When browned, add the garlic and about half of the Rotel tomatoes. Cook down for a couple of minutes, then stir in the tapioca starch:
Now, add the pulled turkey, the rest of the Rotel, and about half of the milk and cheeses:
Stir until incorporated and really melty, then add the rest of the milk and cheeses. If you have any leftover Cajun smothered green beans, add them, too:
Finally, stir the half-cooked pasta into the skillet, and bake til done.
And that's it, y'all. The cooked turkey, green beans and perfectly cooked noodles marries the melt-in-your-mouth cheese sauce to perfection. And the Rotel tomatoes jazz up the dish beautifully, injecting their little flavor bombs into almost every spoonful.
This is definitely the ideal comfort food dish to transition from back from holiday mode to normal, everyday life. Comforting, warming, and beloved by even the pickiest of eaters, this is the way to use up leftover turkey if you have little ones in the house.
Share this gluten free cheesy Creole turkey pasta with those who love uptown flavors served in no-frills, down-home fashion. And see y'all on the yum side...
Gluten Free Cheesy Creole Turkey Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces gluten free pasta, cooked halfway to package directions
- 3 tablespoons oil or butter
- ⅓ cup onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup green bell pepper, chopped
- ⅓ cup celery, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 1 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes, divided
- 2 cups pulled turkey or chicken
- 1 ½ cups pepper Jack cheese
- 1 ½ cups Colby Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 to 2 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup leftover Cajun smothered green beans, optional
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Brown the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic, tapioca starch, and half of the Rotel tomatoes. Stir until well-combined.
- Add half of the turkey, cheeses, and milk to the skillet. Stir until well-incorporated, and the cheese has started to melt into the other ingredients.
- Add remaining ingredients, except for the gluten free pasta. Cook until melted, adding more milk to make it creamier, if necessary.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in half-cooked gluten free pasta.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned and bubbly and the pasta is tender.
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