Turkey Tetrazzini

Got lots of leftover turkey?  This is a great recipe to help you use it up.  Even those who may not like turkey will eat this.  It is a creamy casserole that makes use of frozen vegetables and fresh mushrooms.  It may also be made with chicken, so it can be enjoyed most any time.

Turkey Tetrazzini originated early in the 20th century, and was named for Louisa Tetrazzini, an Italian operatic soprano.  It was poured over pasta with mushrooms and almonds, then sprinkled with cheese and baked in the oven.  There are many variations of it available if you do a search,  some made with convenience foods, others made from “scratch”.  This recipe is mainly from scratch which I prefer so that I can control the amount of fat and sodium it contains.

I like to serve it with cranberry sauce or cranberry relish and a salad.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

Yield:   Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta, broken into thirds
  

  Not too many ingredients go into this casserole.

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard powder
• 1  1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen petite peas, thawed
• 1 ( 8-oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3 cups cooked turkey, cut into chunks
• 1/2  cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup crushed garlic-and-onion seasoned croutons
• 1/4 tsp. paprika

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 *F.  Spray or grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, or 2 smaller baking dishes ( 11 x 7-inch) if freezing some.

2.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook as package directs until pasta is still slightly firm.  Drain.

3.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion; cook and stir until tender.  Stir in the flour until blended, then gradually stir in the milk so that no lumps form.  Season with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and mustard.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.

4.  Remove from heat and add 1 cup cheese;  stir in,  then add the peas, mushrooms, turkey, and pasta.  Stir to coat with the sauce.  Pour into prepared baking dish ( or dishes).

Everything combined in the baking dish.

5.  Make topping:   In a small bowl, mix together the crushed croutons, remaining 1/2 cup cheddar, the Parmesan cheese and paprika.   Sprinkle over the top.

Topping sprinkled over it.

Cover with foil and bake at 375* for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, until topping is browned and sauce is bubbling.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

After baking.

Note:  Casserole may be assembled and frozen up to 1 month.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight;  bake, covered, at 375*F for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

SOURCE:   Myrecipes.com

For another recipe that uses leftover turkey, check out my recipe for Turkey Frame Soup.