Low carb turkey casserole, made with cauliflower rice, green beans, and cheddar cheese can be on the table in under 45 minutes. It’s the PERFECT way to use up your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, but you can easily make it any time of year. 

Leftover turkey casserole

I’m not usually a big casserole person, but I recently made a few classic casseroles for one of my freelance clients and I finally understand the appeal. They’re cozy as can be, super easy to make, reheat well (perfect to prep for lunches!), and can even be made ahead and frozen for later. I’m officially a casserole convert. 

This leftover turkey casserole is seriously so good. Have you ever finished a really good dinner and immediately started looking forward to having leftovers for lunch the next day? This recipe gives you that feeling. 

Leftover turkey casserole is a classic after Thanksgiving for obvious reasons. But, unfortunately, most turkey casserole recipes are pretty bland and have a muddy flavor from things like canned cream of mushroom soup. 

This low carb turkey casserole doesn’t have any of that. Instead, I spiced things up with cajun seasoning and jalapeno pepper. I also added red bell pepper and green beans to keep things tasting fresh and vibrant. Swapping cooked rice for cauliflower rice also keeps things light and fresh – and low carb!

Ingredients in Cajun Turkey Casserole

• Cooked turkey. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is ideal, but I grabbed a package of roast turkey breast from Trader Joes that was perfect in this recipe. Just be sure not to use deli meat turkey. You could also use a rotisserie chicken or sautee turkey tenderloin. 
• Green Beans. I prefer to use fresh green beans in this recipe, but frozen beans are also ok. If you use fresh beans, be sure to trim the ends! 
• Red Bell Pepper. I know red peppers cost a little more than green peppers, but they have a sweeter flavor than green peppers. They also add a pop of color that this leftover turkey casserole really needs. 
• Jalapeno Pepper. Jalapeno pepper adds a little extra spice to this casserole. Add more or less, depending on how spicy you want your casserole to be. 1 small jalapeno is a good starting place. 
• Cajun seasoning. Cajun seasoning is what gives this casserole it’s flavor, so you don’t want to skimp here. Store-bought cajun seasoning can be hard to find, so here’s my cajun seasoning recipe. 
• Cauliflower Rice. Cauliflower rice keeps this casserole low carb, and means it’s easier to make since you don’t have to mess with boiling rice! I love cauliflower rice, but in this recipe, you can barely notice the cauliflower flavor with all of the other ingredients. 
• Sharp White Cheddar. I strongly prefer to grate my own cheese. It melts better than pre-shredded cheese and has better flavor.
• Eggs. Eggs help bind everything together. Be sure to take the pan off the stove before you add the eggs – you don’t want them to scramble!

More leftover turkey ideas

A big pot of soup and a leftover turkey casserole or two should easily take care of any leftover Thanksgiving turkey you have. But if you have more, or if you’re looking for some other ideas, I also suggest:

Cajun Turkey Casserole

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Low carb turkey casserole, made with cauliflower rice, green beans, and cheddar cheese can be on the table in under 45 minutes. It’s the PERFECT way to use up your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, but you can easily make it any time of year. 

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 12 ounces green beans, trimmed
• ½ to 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 16 ounces cauliflower rice
• 2 cups cooked turkey, diced (can also use cooked chicken)
• 6 ounces shredded white cheddar, divided
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350F. Spray a 9×11-inch casserole pan with cooking spray.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapeno; cook 3-4 minutes, until beginning to soften.
3. Stir in the green beans and Cajun seasoning; cook 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the cream cheese until melted.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cauliflower rice, turkey, and all but ½ cup cheese. Stir in the eggs.
5. Pour into the prepared casserole pan. Top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

Add more or less jalapeno and Cajun seasoning depending on how spicy you want your casserole. I use one medium jalapeno and a full Tablespoon of seasoning for a casserole with a pretty good kick to it.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 332 Total Fat 20g Saturated Fat 9g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 9g Cholesterol 149mg Carbohydrates 14g Net Carbohydrates 10g Fiber 4g Sugar 6g Sugar Alcohols 0g Protein 25g