For When You're Left With A Ton Of Turkey After Thanksgiving And Don't Know What To Do With It.
Welcome back to another recipe of the week! We almost always end up with leftovers after Thanksgiving of some sort, and you need to use them up without burning out. This week we're taking your turkey and turning it into a medley of flavors with this Turkey Tetrazzini. While the first version is a very traditional mix, we also have a Southwest style in the notes afterward if you're looking for something wildly different. For now, let's grab that turkey and dive in!
Ingredients:
1 lb of dried pasta
3 Tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves
1lb onions
3 1/2 oz of button mushrooms
1 cup white wine
2 C chicken stock
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C turkey stock (can be substituted for more chicken stock if you don't have any)
1/2 C heavy cream
1 C milk
14oz cooked turkey
1 tsp ground nutmeg
10 oz Cheddar cheese
3 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese
8 oz frozen peas
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 lemon
1 C panko bread crumbs
Recipe:
Start by gathering up your garlic, onions, mushrooms, turkey, cheddar cheese, and your lemon. Each of them needs to be prepped in different ways, so you're also going to need your chef's knife, a pair of forks, a juicer, and a cutting board, as well as dishes for each ingredient.
Start by crushing your garlic cloves with the side of your knife and thoroughly smashing them. Then take your onions, remove the tops and bottoms of them and chop the rest into 1/2 inch pieces.
Next up is the mushrooms, for those, you'll want to slice them into 1/4-inch slices. These are thick enough not to melt but thin enough to cook easily. When you're done with those, take your turkey and shred it. You can even go so far as to chop the shredded pieces after so that nothing is longer than bite size if you like, but the shredding is the important part here.
For the cheddar, you're going to want to shred that all and set it aside in the fridge for the time being. Lastly, grab your lemon. Roll it firmly across the counter with your palm and then cut it in half, making sure to get out as much of the juice as you can from both halves.
Once you've prepped all of your materials, set a pot of water on the stove, add 1/4 c salt to the water and bring it to a roiling boil. Toss in the pasta and cook it until cooked but still firm. This is so that you don't get pasta-flavored mush later on. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
-Add the butter to a large frying pan and allow it to melt. When done, add in your garlic and onions and saute for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender. Stir in your mushrooms and cook for an additional 5 minutes stirring frequently.
-Stir your wine and 2 cups of chicken stock into the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the mixture to reduce for 10 minutes. Next, add in the flour and mix thoroughly to incorporate. When you don't have any clumps left, stir in the turkey stock a little at a time. (Or the third cup of chicken stock if you went with that.) Whisk it all together to form a sauce.
-Reduce your heat to medium-low and stir in the cream, milk, turkey, nutmeg and both types of cheese. Season it well with salt and pepper, mixing to incorporate. Allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Finally, add in the pasta and the peas while you preheat your oven to 350*F.
-Remove the pan from the heat and mix in your lemon juice.
-Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and coat the top with your panko. Bake the casserole for 25 minutes or until the top, is golden brown and bubbling.
For a tasty variation, you can sub out the cheddar cheese for cream cheese and the Parmesan for a little bit of Monterey Jack.
Remove the peas and add in fresh red and green bell peppers instead. We would say two of each type, diced and sauteed, prior to adding in.
Finally, add in 2 tsp of chili powder,1 tsp of smoked paprika, and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.
Follow all of the directions otherwise and enjoy a delicious southwestern-style tetrazzini.
With that wrapped up, that is our recipe for this week! Let us know how yours turned out or any variations you've tried in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.
If you wound up here because your appliances are malfunctioning after Thanksgiving, give us a ring! You can reach out to us via phone at (214) 599-0055) or by going to our contact page. Wherever you are in the Dallas Metro area, Appliance Rescue Service is here to help. Whether you're in Coppell, Allen or Plano, we'll work with you to get your home running smoothly again.
