Turkey/Chicken Tetrazzini

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This is one I've been meaning to put up for a long time, but now is the perfect time!  This is a great way to use up leftover turkey - if you still have any.  It uses turkey, mushrooms, onions, white bread (all of which you may have leftovers of from making stuffing), turkey or chicken broth (homemade is great!), spaghetti noodles, and a few other things.  It's not exactly low-carb, which may be something you're looking for after feasting all weekend, but it certainly is delicious.  And you can make it any time you have leftover turkey or chicken, any time of the year.  Enjoy!



Turkey Tetrazzini

BREAD-CRUMB TOPPING
6 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
4 T. butter, melted
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
pinch salt (no salt if using salted butter)

FILLING
8 T. unsalted butter
8 oz. white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
2 onions, chopped fine
salt and pepper
6 T. all-purpose flour
3 c. low-sodium chicken/turkey broth
1 1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 c. dry)
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried thyme (2 tsp. fresh if you have it)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
12 oz. spaghetti or other long-strand pasta, broken in half
2 c. frozen peas
4 c. cooked turkey or chicken, cut into 1/4" pieces

For the topping:  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses.  Combine bread crumbs, butter, and salt, spread onto rimmed baking sheet, and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 15-20 minutes.  Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl, cool slightly, then stir in Parmesan; set aside.

For the filling:  Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Grease 9x13 baking dish.  In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil and add pasta and 1 T. salt, cooking until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot.

Meanwhile, melt 2 T. butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring often, until liquid from mushrooms evaporates, 12 to 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

Melt remaining 6 T. butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat.  Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns golden, 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk chicken/turkey broth, bring to simmer, and cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Off heat, whisk in Parmesan, lemon juice, thyme, nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

To pot with drained pasta, add sauce, mushroom mixture, peas, turkey, and reserved cooking water to pasta and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer mixture to prepared dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Bake until topping is golden brown and mixture is bubbling around edges, 13-15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

(Also can easily be halved and baked in an 8x8 pan)

Source: minorly adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook