Turkey Tetrazzini

With Thanksgiving fast approaching {where did the year go?!}, folks are gearing up for their holiday turkey. But for me, I'm thinking about what to do with the leftovers! It's no surprise that comforting meals are especially good around the holidays so with comfort in mind, this Turkey Tetrazzini fits the bill. Leftover holiday turkey gets a delicious makeover when baked as a casserole with broken spaghetti noodles, drunken mushrooms, peas, bacon and a creamy cheese sauce to tie it all together...

I loved this dish as a great way to use leftover turkey. This works just as well for leftover chicken too! The mushrooms, peas and bacon really give it a nice flavor, not to mention all the white wine the mushrooms had absorbed. I was reluctant about the cream cheese in the recipe at first but after tasting how creamy and luscious the sauce was, I was sold.

I adapted the original recipe by using GF spaghetti noodles, GF flour and processing some GF rolls into breadcrumbs for a dish I could eat. I also omitted the olives that was originally called for and added some onion since I love how onions and garlic just start off a recipe on a delicious note. Overall, a fantastic recipe!

Turkey Tetrazzini

recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

1-1/2 pound spaghetti, 
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup {GF} flour
4 cups turkey (or chicken) broth + more for thinning
1(8oz) block cream cheese, cut into pieces
3 cups cooked (leftover) turkey, shredded or diced
1-1/2 cup frozen peas
4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
1 cup grated parmesan cheese  + 1/4 cup for topping
 salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup panko bread crumbs {or processed GF bread}

Break pasta in half strands and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large dutch oven or pot, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, saute for a until softened. Add mushrooms and salt, and continue to saute for a couple more minutes. Add the wine, stir and continue cooking until the liquid reduces by half.

Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat the mushrooms, cooking for another minute. Add the broth and stir, continuing to cook as it thickens.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add the pieces of cream cheese and stir as it begins to melt. This may take a few minutes to melt completely but don't worry if there are some big pieces.

Add the leftover turkey, peas, bacon, and the cheeses {minus the cheese reserved for the topping}. Stir to combine, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Add the cooked spaghetti and stir it to combine. If the mixture is a bit too thick to stir to incorporate everything, add a little more broth as needed. The mixture should be slightly soupy so that the pasta can absorb it as it bakes.

Transfer the mixture into a large baking dish and sprinkle the top with Panko crumbs and the remaining cheeses for the topping. 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown.