Turkey (or Chicken) Tetrazzini

 Kayaker on flooded golf course behind our home!

   
Turkey Tetrazzini: (slightly adapted from recipe by Ree Drummond)

Have we ever had the rain here in coastal North Carolina!  We've been "socked in" for days and the last 2 days have been particularly extreme, with 20 inches of rain, flash flood warnings, high tides, and wind.  So I decided to throw a boneless turkey breast in the oven to use for turkey tetrazzini, as I was craving pasta... again!  I know, I can't seem to get enough pasta!  This recipe would work equally well with cooked chicken, or left over Thanksgiving turkey.  To make it more healthy, I used whole grain thin spaghetti, low sodium broth, and low fat cream cheese.  This makes a huge batch, so I ended up with plenty to share with our flooded in neighbors!  Serve with a Caesar salad and cheesy olive bread and  you've got a Sunday supper!

INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

1 medium onion, diced (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound white (or baby bella) mushrooms, quartered
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more
1/4 cup flour
4 cups turkey or chicken broth, plus more if needed
One 8-ounce package cream cheese (I used low fat)
3 cups leftover turkey, shredded or diced
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas (or 1 12-ounce package)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or Cheddar Jack)
1 cup finely chopped black olives (optional) (I used a small can of chopped black olives)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
4 slices bacon, fried and chopped (optional)
12 ounces thin spaghetti, broken in half and cooked (I used whole grain)
1 cup panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

·        Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray large baking dish (13x9 or so) with cooking spray.

·        Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the garlic and onions, cooking until onions are translucent and tender, about 3 minutes.

·        Throw in the mushrooms, wine, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by half, about 3 to 4 minutes.

·        Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine well.

·        Pour in the broth, stir, and continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3 to 4 minutes.

·        Add the cream cheese and stir until it is well blended.

·        Add the turkey, peas, Monterey Jack cheese, olives, Parmesan and bacon and stir to combine; add salt and pepper to taste.

·        Add the spaghetti, and stir to combine.  If the mixture is too thick, add in ½ cup of broth.

·        Pour this mixture into prepared baking casserole dish and spread to even out the surface.

·        Sprinkle the top with panko crumbs and bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the casserole is bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes.