Christmas dinner rebuilt as one dish: turkey, ham, green beans and stuffing in a creamy base, baked until the top is golden.
It is designed to be assembled ahead — up to two days in the fridge or three months in the freezer — which is most of why it exists.
Why This Recipe Works
- A proper flour roux rather than a canned soup gives a base you control the seasoning of, which matters in a dish that already carries salty ham and salty stuffing.
- Sour cream and Dijon go in off the heat, after the sauce has thickened. Both would split or turn bitter if they were simmered.
- Moistening the stuffing cubes with broth and melted butter before they go on top is what makes them brown rather than burn — dry cubes on a wet casserole scorch on top and go soggy underneath.
- Two cheeses in two places: mozzarella or fontina folded into the base for stretch, sharp cheddar on top under the stuffing for flavour and browning.
When Are You Baking It?
Step 8 has three different timings. The one you need depends on a decision made before you assemble the dish: when is it going in the oven?
Straight away, while everything is warm
Bake 35 to 45 minutes at 375°F, until bubbling at the edges and the stuffing is deeply golden. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
The base is still hot from the skillet, so the oven only has to brown the top and heat the middle through. This is the fastest route and gives the crispest stuffing, because the cubes have had the least time to sit in a damp casserole.
Assembled and refrigerated, up to 48 hours
Add 10 to 15 minutes to the bake time.
A cold 9x13 casserole takes real time to come up to temperature in the middle. Bake it for the original time and the edges will bubble while the centre is still cool — the extra quarter hour is not optional.
Assembled and frozen, up to 3 months
Cover with foil and add 25 to 35 minutes, removing the foil at the end to crisp the top.
Twice the extra time and the foil is now mandatory rather than a precaution. Without it the stuffing would be black long before a frozen centre thawed, and the foil comes off only once the middle is hot.
Ingredient Notes
- Cooked turkey and diced ham
- Three cups and two cups, both already cooked. Rotisserie chicken stands in for the turkey; nothing here cooks meat from raw.
- Herbed stuffing cubes
- Four cups, moistened with half a cup of broth and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. The moistening is part of the ingredient line and it is the step that decides whether the topping browns or burns.
- Sour cream and Dijon
- Half a cup and a teaspoon, both added off the heat. Simmering either one would spoil it — this is why step 3 takes the pan off before they go in.
- Dried cranberries and pecans
- Half a cup each, both optional. The cranberries go into the base and the pecans onto the top, so they are not interchangeable additions.
How to Make It
Heat the oven
375°F (190°C), 9x13-inch baking dish greased.
Start the base
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery and carrots until tender, 5 to 6 minutes, then the garlic for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook 1 minute, stirring.
Build the sauce
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Simmer, stirring, until thickened and glossy, 3 to 4 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the sour cream and Dijon, then season with the thyme, rosemary, poultry seasoning, pepper and salt.
Fold in the filling
Fold in the turkey, ham, green beans, mozzarella and cranberries if using. Transfer to the prepared dish and smooth the top.
Top it
Scatter over the cheddar. Combine the stuffing cubes with the melted butter and broth to lightly moisten, scatter evenly over the casserole and sprinkle with pecans if using.
Bake
35 to 45 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and the stuffing is deeply golden. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
Rest
10 minutes to set, then garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Or make it ahead
Assemble fully, cool, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 3 months. Baking cold, add 10 to 15 minutes; baking from frozen, cover with foil and add 25 to 35 minutes, removing the foil to crisp the top at the end.
Success Tips
- Cook the flour for its full minute before any liquid arrives.
- Take the pan off the heat before the sour cream and Dijon.
- Moisten the stuffing cubes. Dry ones on top will scorch.
- Match the bake time to how cold the dish is — the three timings in step 8 are not interchangeable.
Serving Ideas
Parsley and not much else. It contains the whole Christmas plate already, so a sharp green salad is the only thing worth putting next to it.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate baked leftovers up to 3 days. Unbaked, it keeps 48 hours in the fridge or 3 months frozen.
Freeze
Freeze it assembled and unbaked up to 3 months, which is what the recipe is built for. Baked-then-frozen works but the stuffing topping never crisps up again properly.
Reheat
Covered in a 325°F oven until hot through, uncovering for the last few minutes to bring the topping back. The microwave works for single portions and gives you a soft top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it without Christmas leftovers?
Yes — rotisserie chicken is an alternative to the turkey, and deli ham works for the ham. Boxed stuffing cubes are already assumed. Nothing about the recipe requires a roast to have happened first.
My stuffing topping went soggy.
Usually too much liquid in the moistening step, or the casserole was baked covered for too long. The cubes should be lightly moistened, not soaked, and the foil is a correction for over-browning rather than the default.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Two changes are needed: a gluten-free flour blend for the roux, and gluten-free stuffing cubes for the topping. Both are straightforward substitutions, though the roux may thicken slightly differently and want an extra minute.
