Turkey Day leftovers: Comfort food at its finest

When you cook a 22-pound turkey for Thanksgiving, leftovers are inevitable. The first round is devoured in a midnight dash to the fridge (straight from the Tupperware, no silverware required.) And then there's Friday's long-awaited turkey-cranberry panino, with a pile of green bean casserole on the side. But my favorite leftovers meal of all is turkey noodle casserole.

Countless versions of turkey noodle casserole abound in cookbooks and on recipe boxes, but I think this one is the very best. There is not much to it: just a creamy cheddar bechamel tossed with noodles, turkey and veggies, all baked to perfection.

If you are looking for something delicious for your turkey leftovers, yet simple and easy to throw together, this is your recipe.

Turkey Noodle Casserole

8 ounces dried egg noodles

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped sweet onion (about 1 small onion)

½ cup chopped carrots

½ cup chopped celery

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups milk

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus extra for seasoning

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar, divided

2 cups cooked, shredded turkey

¾ cup sour cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hot sauce (optional), to serve

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; saute until tender and softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Whisk in the flour and stir until it is absorbed (and the "raw" taste cooks out), about 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups shredded cheese and stir until melted. Add the cayenne, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cheese sauce, shredded turkey and sour cream to the noodles. Season generously with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

Grease a 10-inch round baking dish (or a similar size baking pan). Pour noodle mixture into baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake until casserole is warm and cheese is bubbling, about 25 minutes.

Serve with lots of hot sauce, preferably Frank's RedHot.

Serves 6 to 8

• Nealey Dozier is a writer for TheKitchn.com.