Turkey Vegetable Rice Bake

Tonight I shared my Curried Turkey Salad recipe at $5 Dinners. It is one of the ways that I will be using our leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. I will also use the leftover turkey in Tuscan Turkey Soup and use it in place of chicken to make Turkey and Rice Soup, but my kids favorite way for me to use the leftover turkey is in Turkey Vegetable Rice Bake.

Turkey Vegetable Rice Bake is an odd mixture of ingredients, created on a whim, but some how it works.

Ingredients:

splash of olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, coarsely grated
1 small summer squash or zucchini, chopped ( ~ 1 1/2 cups)
2 cups leftover turkey, cubed
2 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup turkey or chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch ( or 4 T. flour)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or (2 teaspoons dried)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a large pot, sauté onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and squash in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Stir in turkey and rice.

In a small pot, combine broth, milk, cornstarch, mustard powder, garlic powder, parsley, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add cheese and cook over a medium-high heat until melted. Pour over vegetable mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 12 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the liquid has been cooked off. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.

This post has been linked to Real Food Wednesday.