Go Ask Mom

Holiday Recipe: Turkey Tetrazzini

Stuck with turkey leftovers? Try this simple recipe.

Posted 2012-11-18T19:15:06+00:00 - Updated 2012-11-26T01:12:09+00:00

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

I suspect many of us are still left with containers full of turkey in our refrigerators and, we are now all getting just a little tired of the same old turkey sandwiches.

I shared this recipe for turkey cheese casserole last year (which is still a very favorite of mine). But I tried this recipe, courtesy of Rachel Ray, when I had leftover chicken on hand though it was really intended for turkey.

Ray's recipe uses raw turkey, but since I had cooked chicken (and now cooked turkey) on hand, I just mixed the cooked meat into the casserole to bake.

Turkey Tetrazzini by Rachel Ray (with some of my additions)

8 ounces linguine pasta, broken in half (I used thin spaghetti because that's what we had)
3/4 pound cooked skinless, boneless turkey breast, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons butter
8 ounces small white mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (which I grow in my yard)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook the pasta per the package directions until just barely al dente. Drain.

Add 2 tablespoons of butter, mushrooms and thyme to a skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about three minutes or until the mushrooms start to soften. Pour into a bowl with the turkey.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the milk and broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken stirring constantly. Add 1/2 cup parmesan and the peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix the pasta, turkey-mushroom mixture and sauce together and pour into the baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup parmesan. Bake until the casserole is golden brown on top and the sauce is bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes.

Check the original recipe if you're using raw turkey or chicken.

Go Ask Mom features recipes every Friday. Check WRAL.com's recipe database for more.