So many ways to use a turkey… But it’s winter, and comfort food is in order. Carbs, cheese, AND tryptophan, all in one dish! This casserole is loosely based on turkey tetrazzini, and was made with shredded turkey meat picked off the bones after making turkey stock. Of course, I used some of the stock, too.

I also used some dried oyster mushrooms that my wife had foraged, along with some sour cream that was feeling a bit lonely. While tetrazzini traditionally uses spaghetti, I prefer shorter, stockier noodles in most casseroles, so I went with penne.

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Turkey Casserole

A cheesey, creamy, comforting turkey casserole made with lots of cheese and sour cream. It's based loosely on turkey tetrazzini, but also shows that you really can make a casserole by simply mixing a starch, a protein, some sort of thick-ish sauce, and a bunch of cheese and baking it. Really, feel free to ad lib!

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Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

servings MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 lb Penne Pasta
• 3 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Onion diced
• 1 head Garlic (I suggest a milder garlic variety like music)
• 3 Tbsp Flour
• 1 Pint Turkey Stock (substitute chicken stock if you don't make your own stock)
• 16 oz Sour Cream
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 C Shredded Turkey (picked from bones after making stock. Substitute canned turkey or chicken if you don't have shredded turkey handy))
• 2 C Shredded Mozarella divided
• 4 oz Spinach chopped
• 1/4 C Grated Asiago (approx)

Course Main Dish Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Servings servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 lb Penne Pasta 3 Tbsp Butter 1 Onion diced 1 head Garlic (I suggest a milder garlic variety like music) 3 Tbsp Flour 1 Pint Turkey Stock (substitute chicken stock if you don't make your own stock) 16 oz Sour Cream 4 oz Cream Cheese 2 tsp Italian Seasoning 2 C Shredded Turkey (picked from bones after making stock. Substitute canned turkey or chicken if you don't have shredded turkey handy)) 2 C Shredded Mozarella divided 4 oz Spinach chopped 1/4 C Grated Asiago (approx)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Cook the penne in salted boiling water, just to al dente. Don't overcook the pasta, or it will break down into mush when baking later.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and saute until translucent. Add the garlic, and cook until it begins to release its aroma, about 30 seconds.
4. Whisk in the flour, and cook for about 1 minute to make a roux.
5. Whisk in the turkey stock and sour cream. Keep whisking frequently to avoid lumps, and cook until thickened and simmering.
6. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Add the Italian seasoning and turkey.
7. Drain the pasta, then dump it into a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Stir in the spinach, and let the pasta heat wilt it slightly. Stir in the sauce/turkey and about 2/3 of the mozzarella, making sure everything is well distributed.
8. Top with the remaining mozzarella and bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Grate asiago over the top of the casserole, and bake another 10 minutes or so, until the top browns. Depending on your oven, you may need to finish it with a few minutes on broil.
9. This is a lot of dairy, carbs, and tryptophan. You probably should serve it with a nice side salad, then take a nap. Yum!

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