Turkey Tetrazzini Using Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving leftovers are fantastic. Whether you heat yourself up a second Thanksgiving dinner plate the next day or make good old fashion turkey sandwiches, nothing beats it. Well, maybe one thing. My mother-in-law told me about a tradition in their household where my wife's grandmother would use the leftovers in a spaghetti pasta casserole dish called Turkey Tetrazzini. Turns out this recipe is out there and I tried it for the first time and it is awesome! It's like an epic chicken pot pie but with turkey as the base and it surrounded by hearty spaghetti instead of the odd use of pie crust. Be sure to give this a try next time you have a bunch of leftovers.

I of course try to make mine as dairy free as possible but there are certain dairy elements that are totally worth.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried spaghetti cooked just to al dente
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup matchstick carrots (or fine dice on whole carrots)
• 8 oz mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 3-4 cloves garlic minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp each rosemary, sage, and thyme or 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup white wine or 1/4 cup dried vermouth or sherry
• 4 cups turkey gravy (or 3 1/2 cups stock mixed in with roux of 1/4 cup butter or oil and 1/4 cup flour)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 4 oz sour cream or cream cheese
• 2 cups diced leftover turkey
• Another 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (optional for garnish)

Directions

• Preheat over to 350 degrees
• Heat up butter or oil
• Add onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, salt, and pepper
• Saute until vegetables are tender about 5 minutes
• Add garlic and herb seasonings and saute until fragrant about 1 minute
• Add flour and stir until evenly coated
• Add wine and stir until absorbed trying not to have any flour clumps form
• Gradually add turkey gravy while stirring constantly
• Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes while stirring frequently
• Remove from heat and melt in cream cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• Add the peas, turkey, and pasta
• Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and add the mixture
• Combine panko and remaining 1/2 parmesan cheese and sprinkle on top
• Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned
• Let rest for 15 minutes before serving