Faced with a lot of leftover turkey from Christmas dinner – I decided to forgo making crêpes and turn my attention to the one dish beauty of a casserole. Turkey tetrazzini is simple to make, and it calls for ingredients that you pretty much have on hand after a holiday – onions, red peppers, spaghetti, stock, mushrooms, peas, and of course, turkey! It was a big hit with the fellas, and I can see myself making this down the road with leftover chicken. Recipe behind the cut.
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup chicken or turkey broth
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups diced, cooked turkey
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 pound spaghetti, broken in thirds
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Preheat oven to 350º. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the mushrooms and the peppers and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and milk, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens – about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar, stirring until the cheese had melted, for 5 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook spaghetti for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain, and add spaghetti to the pot and stir in frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper, and spread evenly into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and bake until bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
(Adapted slightly from Saveur magazine.)
