#ImprovCooking ~ Cheesy Turkey Casserole

For January's #ImprovCookingChallenge we were given the ingredients of cheese and crackers to combine into a recipe. There are so many variations you could do for cheese and crackers, from a beautiful charcuterie board, to homemade cheese crackers, to a cheesy casserole with a cracker topping. I obviously opted for the cracker topped cheesy casserole! 

Check out what the other bloggers have made!

Improv Cooking Challenge: January 2020

Ingredients: Cheese and Crackers

• Broccoli Cheese Casserole by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Cheese Crackers by Cookaholic Wife
• Oven-Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders by Palatable Pastime
• Seasoned Keto Crackers by Our Good Life
• Marinated Goat Cheese Spread by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Homemade Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread by Pandemonium Noshery
• Savory Cheddar Herb Cheesecake by Kate's Recipe Box
• Cheesy Turkey Casserole by Making Miracles
• Olives & Cheese Crackers by Sneha's Recipe
• Brie and Havarti Crackers by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Baked Parmesan Cracker Chicken Tenders by Simply Inspired Meals
• Cracker Crumb Topped Fennel & Carrot Quiche by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

We cooked up a turkey recently after the Holidays and had a bag of beautiful leftover turkey meat sitting in the refrigerator in need of a home. This challenge seemed like the perfect opportunity to put some of that tasty turkey to use. This recipe is pure comfort food. The shell pasta hold onto the veggies and sauce and give you bites bursting with gooey cheesy flavor and tender veggies and meat. You can easily customize this with your choice of veggies, use chicken instead, etc. The flavor is mild, and you could amp that up as well if you wanted to. I would absolutely make this one again! I might throw in a package carton of fresh mushrooms next time. 

Cheesy Turkey Casserole adapted from Spend with Pennies

Ingredients

Casserole:
3 cups shell noodles uncooked
1 TBS olive oil
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion finely diced
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
10 3/4 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 cups cooked turkey, chopped

Topping:
2 TBS melted butter
1/2 sleeve (about 20) saltine crackers, crushed to crumbs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook the pasta to al dente, per package instructions (about 10 minutes).
3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat and saute the onion and pepper until tender, about 10-15 minutes (cook less if you prefer your vegetables to have more "bite"). Season the vegetables with a sprinkling of salt and pepper while cooking.
4. In a large bowl, combine all remaining casserole ingredients. Add in the pasta when cooked and drained, and the vegetables when tender. Stir gently to combine.
5. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and pour combined casserole ingredients into the dish, use a spatula to lightly even the mixture out if needed. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
6. A few minutes before that initial 30 minutes is up  prepare the topping: melt the better and add in the crushed crackers. Toss to combine in the butter and then stir in the 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Toss to evenly combine mixture. When the timer goes off, remove casserole from oven and remove foil. Evenly spread cheesy cracker mixture over the top of the casserole and return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes until cheese has melted and topping is starting to lightly brown.
7. Serve immediately.