Thanksgiving Leftover Mac and Cheese

Thanksgiving Leftover Mac and Cheese

Recipe by Julie Bray from allrecipes.com

Dinner 50 Mins.

Ingredients

6

6 servings

  • ½ (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • ½ large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 cup leftover shredded turkey
  • 1 pinch dried parsley, or to taste
  • 1 pinch dried sage, or to taste
  • 1 pinch dried rosemary, or to taste
  • 1 pinch ground thyme, or to taste
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chicken broth, or as needed
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon milk, or more as needed
  • ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Gouda cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, then rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
  • While the pasta is cooking, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery; saute until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add leftover turkey and cook until warm and flavors are incorporated, about 1 minute. Season with parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add broth if mixture seems dry. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Melt remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium (or slightly higher) heat. Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in milk (about 1 to 2 tablespoons); keep stirring to make sure flour is blended and there are no lumps. Cook until roux is brown and very fragrant. Add Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, and Parmesan cheeses; cook until sauce thickens and the cheese melts. Slowly add enough milk so the roux/cheese mix is creamy; just add it in small increments so it's not too juicy.
  • Add macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix to combine. Add the turkey mixture. Mix well and transfer to a baking dish. Top with bread crumbs.
  • Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
  • Place mac and cheese under the broiler until browned, 5 to 10 minutes.

Nutritional Facts

Per 6 servings

  • Calories: 360
  • Carbohydrate: 37g
  • Fat: 16g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 18g
  • Sugar: 3g

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