Turkey Tetrazzini

Holiday leftovers:

Turkey Tetrazzini is a superb and delicious way to use some of that turkey you have leftover from the big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. Ernest Arbogast is thought to have created this dish some time around 1908 when he was head chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California. He named the dish after a famous opera singer of the day, Luisa Tetrazzini. I have made some changes over the years to the dish that I hope will make it as enjoyable to eat for you as it is for our family.

Ingredients (serves 8):

• 1 pound – button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 – onion, chopped
• 2 ½ tablespoons – butter
• 2 tablespoons – extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup – all purpose flour
• ½ cup – dry white wine (e.g., chardonnay)
• 1 teaspoon – salt
• ½ teaspoon – poultry seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon – black pepper
• 2 cups – chicken broth
• 1 cup – evaporated milk
• 5 cups – cooked turkey, chopped into bite-size pieces (can use chicken)
• 2 tablespoons – parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 pound – large egg noodles
• 2/3 cup – parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 tablespoons – fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon – fresh thyme
• 2 – bay leaves
• ½ cup – breadcrumbs
• ½ cup – toasted almonds, sliced (optional)

Preparation:

In a large frying pan, sauté the mushrooms and onions in butter and oil over medium-high heat until most of the water is gone from the mushrooms. Add the flour, wine, salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Stir until well mixed. Add the broth and cook until mixture boils, about 5 minutes. Add the evaporated milk, turkey, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves and simmer on medium low for about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese and mix well.

The turkey mixture.

Remove bay leaves.

Cook the noodles in boiling water for about 10 minutes stirring periodically.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10½ x 14 inch baking dish. Spoon half of the cooked noodles into the baking dish and spread evenly. Add half of the turkey mixture onto the top of the noodles. Create a second layer of noodles followed by the rest of the turkey mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and 2/3 cup parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the dish and sprinkle almonds on top and serve. Enjoy!

After it has finished baking

Turkey tetrazzini with fruit and vegetables.

J. Botticelli