Description
Turkey Tetrazzini, a dish I grew up on, is creamy, hearty, and full of mushroomy goodness. For me, it’s not Thanksgiving unless tetrazzini is in the oven a day or two later.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- About 4 ounces butter, divided per instructions
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, stem removed, seeded and diced
- 4 shallots, minced
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 4 cups chopped turkey
- 2 cups grated cheddar
- 6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (are you saving the fat for shallot sauté?)
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs or seasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350oF. Butter a 9x13x2-inch 3-quart casserole.
Make the White Sauce or Béchamel:
- Make a roux, using 3 Tablespoons each of butter and flour. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux the texture of wet sand. Let it start to bubble and continue for one minute.
- Whisk in the milk and chicken stock.(see note below) Combine well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the celery and peppers and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened, whisking from time to time to make sure the sauce does not stick and the vegetables are softened.
Prep the Veggies:
- Add 1 Tablespoon of remaining butter (or the bacon fat if using) to a sauté pan and add the shallots. Sauté until golden and a bit crispy, about 8 minutes.
- Drain on a paper towel.
- Add an additional 2 Tablespoons of butter to the pan and sauté the mushrooms until browned.
Cook the Pasta:
Cook the pasta according to package directions, under-cooking by a minute or so. Drain.
Time to Combine:
- In a small bowl, combine the parsley, shallots and Parmesan.
- In a large bowl, add the pasta, turkey, mushrooms, cheddar, and gradually add the sauce, folding to combine evenly. Add half the parsley/shallot/Parmesan mixture and toss well. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
- Top the pasta mixture with the remaining parsley/shallot/Parmesan mixture and sprinkle with the bacon and breadcrumbs, dotting with 1 Tablespoon butter.
Bake it Off:
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
I’m switching it up here and making a cross between a milk-based Béchamel white sauce and a chicken stock based Velouté. (same technique and ratio, but different liquids). This makes it creamy and also a bit lighter.
Sometimes when I make this, I let it cool to room temperature and freeze until I need it. In that case, I add all the parsley/shallot/Parmesan mixture to the pasta before freezing, and wrap well, without additional toppings. A 2 gallon ziplock also works well for freezing and is easier to fit in the freezer. Then when I am ready to bake it off, I transfer to a buttered casserole and top the thawed casserole with bacon, breadcrumbs, and a bit of fresh Parmesan, dotted with butter. Bake as directed.
Per Darryl Hannah in Steel Magnolias, “it’s in the freezes beautifully section of my cookbook.”
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
