Use leftover roast turkey (or chicken) and ham in this creamy, delicious lasagne.
There’s no better way of using up roast dinner leftovers – whether those be Christmas leftovers, thanksgiving leftovers or simply a nice Sunday dinner – than in a comforting pasta dish, and this turkey and ham lasagne is one of the best.
I’ve made this pasta recipe to be flexible – it doesn’t really matter how much of the ham or turkey you have, so don’t worry if your meat doesn’t meet the measurements exactly. You can use as much as you have. You can also use just turkey (or chicken), or just ham if you like. Even better if you brined your turkey so you have all of that delicious flavour!
The Ingredients
- Butter, flour, milk – the base of this lasagne is a creamy bechamel, made from salted butter, plain flour and milk (any kind will work).
- Onion, bay leaf, mustard powder – these provide a deep savoury flavour to that sauce that complements your meat. Remember that the turkey and ham will also be imparting plenty of flavour from when you roasted them.
- Leftover turkey and ham – want to make this recipe but don’t have leftovers? No worries! You’ll just need cooked turkey (or chicken) and ham. A cooked rotisserie chicken is a good sub for the turkey, and it’s easy to get hold of shredded cooked ham.
- Lasagne sheets– I have also made this recipe as a pasta bake with penne pasta before and it works really nicely, so consider that if you don’t want to go for lasagne.
- Frozen peas – optional, but it is nice to get a kick of fresh veg between the layers.
- Parmesan – to finish off the lasagne before baking.
Turkey and Ham Lasagne
Ingredients
- 25 grams butter
- 1 onion
- 25 grams flour
- 1.5 pints milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 500-800 grams cooked turkey, chicken and/or ham shredded or cut into cubes
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 12 lasagne sheets
- 250 grams frozen peas
- 50 grams grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Peel and dice the onion: add to the saucepan.
- Stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time.
- When you have added all of the milk, turn the heat back on and add the bay leaf. Bring back to a simmer and stir until thickened, then add the mustard powder, meat, and some salt and pepper.
- Layer lasagne sheets, creamy sauce, then peas. Repeat. Finish with a layer of lasagne sheets then creamy sauce. Top with the grated Parmesan.
- Put in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Video
More Ideas for Using Up Leftovers
One of the best things about cooking a big roast is the leftovers. In fact, I sometimes think the leftover meal the next day is even better! With a little creativity, yesterday’s dinner can turn into something completely different and just as delicious.
If you enjoy finding clever ways to use up what’s already in the fridge, do take a look at my Leftovers recipe hub, where I’ve gathered together plenty of recipes designed to transform leftovers into easy weeknight dinners.
A few of my favourite leftover recipes include:
- Leftover Ham Pie – a wonderfully comforting pie that’s perfect for using up leftover ham.
- Leek and Ham Pasta – creamy, cosy and ready in no time.
- Leftover Roast Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Filo Pie – golden, crisp filo pastry filled with a rich, savoury chicken and leek filling.
This is my absolute favourite way to use up leftovers, and I hope you enjoy it too!