This creamy and hearty Turkey and Rice Casserole recipe is perfect to use leftover turkey. Filled with fresh vegetables like carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, and lots of cheesy goodness this easy-to-make casserole is always a family favorite.
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Using leftover turkey or chicken is always a dilemma for me, especially after roasting a big turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even when I have leftovers from a rotisserie chicken. This recipe is a wonderful way to make the most of those leftovers.
This quick and easy casserole can be made in an hour and will serve up a plate of comfort food that everyone loves. This is a savory dish with juicy turkey or chicken, tender rice, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and cheese, all baked in a rich sour cream broth. No cans of condensed soup are required.
If you like rice dishes and easy casseroles, try this Ground Beef and Rice Skillet meal. I love it, and you will too! It only takes 30 minutes to cook.
Don’t forget to Pin for Later
- Type of recipe: Main dish
- Cooking method: Stovetop + Oven baking
- Skill level: Easy
- Flavors & textures: Creamy, cheesy rice with tender turkey, soft vegetables, and a golden, bubbly top.
- Serving ideas & occasions: A cozy weeknight dinner, perfect for using Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers, great for family meals, potlucks, or make-ahead comfort food.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Cooked Turkey or Chicken—Leftovers are the best. If you make this Lemon Pepper Roast Chicken, use the leftovers. If you don’t have leftovers, you can also cut chicken breasts and poach them to add to this recipe.
- Long grained rice
- Butter
- Garlic
- The veggies – carrots, broccoli, tomatoes
- Scallion
- Turkey or Chicken Broth. Try making your own homemade chicken broth to use in this recipe.
- Sour Cream
- The Cheeses – Dilled Havarti and grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Salt & Pepper
What is Havarti Cheese?
- This recipe uses basic pantry staples, except for one that you probably don’t have on hand, and that is the Dill Havarti Cheese.
- Havarti is a buttery, creamy, and slightly sweet Danish cheese made with whole milk. It has a semi-hard texture with lots of little holes called “eyes.”
- You can find this cheese flavored with ingredients such as dill, cranberry, caraway, pepper, or basil.
- For this recipe, you can use plain Havarti cheese.
- Can’t find Havarti, try substituting Swiss, Gouda, Cheddar, or maybe Monterey Jack; all of these would be delicious.
How to make this turkey casserole
Step 1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat then add chopped garlic, carrots, and 3/4 of the sliced scallions. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Step 2. Add the broccoli florets, diced tomato, rice, turkey or chicken, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Step 3. Mix the chicken broth with the sour cream, pour into the skillet, and stir well to combine.
Step 4. Over medium heat, bring these ingredients to a simmer, heat until the edges bubble, but don’t boil over. Stir again to coat the rice. Then add in half the Havarti cheese, and the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
Step 5. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil so the rice cooks in the steam, then place it in a 425-degree F. oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Optionally – You can pour the ingredients into a greased casserole dish, and cover with foil and bake. This does make a prettier presentation and if there are leftovers you can easily put the baking dish in the fridge.
Step 6. Remove the casserole from the oven and turn on the broiler. Take the foil off, and top the casserole with the remaining Havarti cheese and Parmesan cheese. Broil for about 3 minutes until the top of the casserole is golden brown.
Step 7. Sprinkle the top with the remaining sliced scallions and serve while hot.
Leftover Reheat Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container or cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. Reheat using one of these methods:
- Oven (whole casserole, thawed): Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 20–30 minutes, until warmed through. If the casserole looks dry, stir in a couple of tablespoons of broth before reheating.
- Oven (from frozen): For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above. If reheating straight from frozen, cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 45–60 minutes. Check halfway through and add a splash of broth or milk if it looks dry.
- Micowave (single serving): Place the casserole serving in a microwave-safe dish. I like to add some broth or milk to keep it creamy, then cover with a paper towel. Heat on medium power (50%), stirring halfway through, until hot.
Casserole FAQs
Can I make this casserole ahead of time?
Yes! You can assemble the casserole a day in advance, cover it tightly, and keep in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, add an extra 5-10 minutes to the cook time since it will be starting out cold.
Absolutely. Let the casserole cool completely, then wrap it well or portion it into freezer-safe containers. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven, covered, until hot.
Crunchy rice usually means the casserole didn’t have enough liquid or wasn’t baked long enough. Make sure the rice is fully covered in the creamy mixture before baking, and keep the dish tightly covered with foil or a lid so the steam stays inside. If the rice is still undercooked at the end, add a splash of broth, cover again and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Try these recipes next
- Did I mention comfort food yet? If you love turkey, try these Turkey and Stuffing Roll-Ups. This is the perfect dinner to serve for a small family for the holidays or actually any day. It’s just like a delicious turkey dinner, but it’s much easier.
- This dump and bake Pasta and Meatball Casserole takes minutes to prep and bakes into a hearty and meaty dish.
- This tasty Cranberry Winter Fruit Salad makes a wonderful side to serve with the casserole.
- Don’t forget dessert, and there are lots of options, like this easy-to-make Apple-Cranberry Galette.
- Try these super easy Gluten-Free Stuffed Peppers that are filled with ground turkey, cheese, and tomatoes.
- Creamy Chicken Pasta is a 30-minute recipe the whole family will love.
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Recipe
Cheesy Turkey and Rice Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter substitute olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 5 ounce broccoli florets about 2 cups
- 2 carrots diced – medium-sized
- 1 plum tomato seeded and diced
- 3-5 scallions depending on your tastes use a few stocks in the dish and save some for garnish. Slice into 1/4" slices.
- 5 ounces turkey or chicken, shredded use leftover cooked turkey or chicken (2 cups)
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces dilled Havarti cheese cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425° f.
- Prepare the turkey or chicken by shredding either into small bite-sized pieces.
- Prepare all the vegetables – chop the garlic, peel and dice the carrots, cut the broccoli into florets, slice the scallions and seed and dice the tomato.
- On a small cutting board, dice the Havarti cheese into small cubes
- In a large ovenproof skillet (12" works great) melt the butter over medium heat, then add the garlic, carrots, and half 3/4 of the scallion. Stir until soft, about 2 minutes.
- Add the rice, shredded cooked turkey or chicken, broccoli florets, tomato, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine all the ingredients
- In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk the chicken stock and sour cream together then pour this mixture into the skillet and stir well and bring this mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once the mixture is simmering add half of the Havarti cheese and half of the parmesan cheese, stir to combine.
- Cover the skillet with an ovenproof lid or aluminum foil and place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed
- Optionally – pour the casserole mixture into a greased baking dish and cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the casserole dish from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the casserole.
- Turn the oven broiler on and move the oven shelf to the top rack. Return the skillet/dish to the oven and broil for about 2 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Sprinkle the casserole with the remaining scallions and serve.
- If there are leftovers, cover the pan and place in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Notes
- using your favorite vegetables
- use turkey or vegetable stock
- you can use different cheeses as you like
- feel free to substitute plain Havarti cheese for the dill flavor, or you can use Swiss, Gouda, Cheddar, or Monterey Jack cheeses.
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Nutrition
First published: Dec. 8, 2020, Last updated: Sept. 27, 2025, for better readability.
About Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.
I made it this evening. Yummy, but we do like more seasoning. I used 5 garlic cloves, plenty of pepper. But something else seems “missing” for flavor. Also, I used cheese I had on hand: sharp cheddar + a little Swiss, along with the grated parmesan. Wonder if shredded instead of cubed cheese would be ok. I did cube, but looking for shortcuts.
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing how it turned out. I’m glad you enjoyed it. This casserole is meant to be more of a simple, cozy dish, but it’s easy to bump up the flavor if you like a stronger seasoning. A little onion powder, paprika, or even a pinch of poultry seasoning can add a bit more depth.
Your cheese swap sounds great. Sharp cheddar and Swiss would work nicely with the turkey and rice. Shredded cheese will work just fine too and is definitely an easy shortcut. It will melt a little more evenly through the casserole than cubes.
I appreciate you making the recipe and sharing your tips.
Hi Jere, this isn’t crucial but the scallions in the recipe ingredients. What’s the amount. It sounds like a yummy casserole!
Should I use cooked rice or non-cooked rice to add to the casserole?
Use uncooked rice in this recipe.
Looks delicious. I’ll try this casserole with chicken. I love the use of dill havarti here.
Chicken is just as good, and perfect with a leftover rotisserie.
Such a wonderful dinner idea. Easy to make, light, and healthy. I’m definitely making this casserole. Thanks for sharing your recipe.