Mac and Cheese, with leftover turkey, made into Turkey Rolls, encased in phyllo dough, with the sage, celery and onion, are Thanksgiving in a bite!
The Best Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey
While soups and sandwiches make for traditional Thanksgiving leftovers, this Mac and Cheese Turkey Roll will fast replace the old tradition as your favorite.
Think about all the appetizers, lunch or dinners that follow Turkey Day and you will thank me for this!
Leftover Turkey
It’s funny now we wait all year long for the excitement and deliciousness of Thanksgiving. The biggest turkey we can get our hands on, is what we are after. Stuffing, gravy, buttery rolls; yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know you just want the turkey! And then… just like that, eyes wide as marbles, you look in the fridge the next morning at the monster still perched on a platter and wonder, ‘Now What’!
Leftover Turkey usually starts off in a big ole sandwich to help comfort perhaps a big ole hangover.
Then, by dinner, bones are boiling away, and the monster that was perched on a platter in your fridge has now become deconstructed into the makings of flavorful broth (wise you!). But, there is still a mound of meat awaiting a new repurposed recipe. Hang on, while I wow you with a fabulous leftover turkey recipe!
Mac & Cheese
So, what’s mac and cheese got to do with leftover turkey? Have you lost your mind, you ask?
I can promise you, if you are a mac and cheese lover, THIS is going to knock your socks off!
Imagine all the flavors that went into your turkey stuffing; onions, sage, and other goodies.
Chop some turkey into small cubes. Make an easy and quick mac and cheese with a grown up cheese, Gruyere or one of choice.
Wrap a buttery crunchy pastry of phyllo dough around all this deliciousness, bake it for about 20 – 25 minutes in the oven, and you are in leftover heaven!
Thanksgiving in a Bite, is what you are sure to say, as all the flavors of sage and onions, celery and roasted turkey are encased in a buttery crunchy phyllo dough.
Toss together a cabbage and apple salad, a few nuts and raisins, serve it in a cabbage leaf and I would say you have just created a dish you will want at least once a month, all year through!
Leftover Turkey All Dressed Up!
I have never seen leftover turkey with mac and cheese wrapped in phyllo dough before! I heard you say that! Want to know where I got it from?
I have a fun and fabulous story for you so don’t jump to the recipe just yet!
Back in 2015 I had my first gig on Food Network; Clash of the Grandmas.
It was round 2 and we were challenged to make something that could be hand held, as in, ‘to-go’, with Mac and Cheese.
What? Are you people crazy! What the heck was I going to make in 30 minutes with drippy, gooey mac and cheese that I would be able to eat in my car while driving?
Boom! Just like that, I created the first and only Mac and Cheese Crab Roll!
From there, the rest is history. When Thanksgiving rolled around that year, and my Mac and Cheese Crab Roll had become a family hit, I swapped out the crab for turkey, and seafood flavors for Thanksgiving flavors.
I promise you, you will love this dish!
How To Make Mac and Cheese Leftover Turkey Roll
The turkey was roasted and now you have a platter of turkey meat, sliced from the bones. The rest is easy.
In a large pan, we will make mac and cheese the way it is usually made, cooked pasta, a roux made from flour and butter, some herbs and lots of cheese.
Once the filling is made, it is simply rolled in buttered, layered, stacks of phyllo dough, rolled and baked. It’s just that easy.
Once the rolls are made, they can also be frozen and baked at a later date.
Ingredients Needed
- Cooked turkey
- Cooked macaroni
- Celery
- Scallions
- Cheese, I prefer Gruyere but you can use a favorite
- Butter
- Flour
- Sage
- Phyllo
- Turkey broth
- Salt and pepper
Equipment Needed
- Large frying pan
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Baking sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Basting brush
- Stovetop or burner
- Oven
Mac And Cheese Turkey Rolls
Equipment
- Baking sheet pan
- Large skillet
- Pasta pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cooked turkey, cut into 2 inch thin strips
- 2 cups Cooked macaroni small pasta works best
- 1 cup Celery finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Scallions chopped
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese diced
- 4 tbsp Butter for sauce and phyllo brushing
- 2 tbsp All purpose flour
- 1 tsp Fresh sage or dried
- 1 cup Turkey broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 Phyllo dough sheets
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Cook pasta, drain, and set aside.
- On a medium heat, place 2 tablespoon of butter in a pan, add scallions and celery. Toss for a minute then sprinkle flour on the bottom of the pan and stir everything together. Pour broth and continue stirring. Add turkey, seasonings, cheese, and pasta and quickly stir it all together so everything is incorporated and the cheese melts and holds it all together. Turn pan off and set aside. This part can be done in advance, or move on to filling the dough.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, (add more if needed, or even a drizzle of olive oil to the melted butter). Brush the melted butter across 1 sheet phyllo dough, layer another sheet of dough. Baste and layer until you have 5 layers stacked and lightly buttered.
- Lay the filling mixture in a log shape, along the long end of the dough. Roll it up. Place on a baking sheet (preferable parchment paper lined, otherwise brush a little butter or oil on the sheet pan).
- At a diagonal, cut 1/3 the way into the log, making several slices about 2 inches apart. This makes it easier to slice after it has baked. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until top is golden. Cut the remainder of the way through while warm and serve.
Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
