I was not expecting this to be as good as it was. In fact, I prepared my family for it. So, maybe I need to lower my culinary standards on a regular basis, and I’ll love everything even more!
Anyway, I had leftover smoked turkey (as everyone does after Thanksgiving), and was trying to brainstorm some good things to make with it. I have a good chicken tetrazzini recipe, I thought I would adapt it a little and see if it was edible.
When my kids got home from school, they immediately asked what was for dinner, as they do every single day. I’m beginning to feel like we live in a retirement home, given the fact that my kids are begging for dinner at 3:45, and lately, we’ve been eating dinner by 4:30. I’m sorry to say, I’m not even kidding.
Anyway, as I’m making it, I am arguing with myself on whether or not I am going to fight with them on eating this tonight.
I force them to try everything, but I was positive they were going to hate this, and I didn’t want them to just eat 3 bites of something and then be hungry at 7, so for the first time in a VERY long time, I gave in. Along with this pasta, I made chicken nuggets, and caned green beans, just to make sure they were full.
But they had to try this pasta first. While making this pasta, it made more than I had expected, so I decided to take half of it and freeze it. I didn’t want to end up with 6 helpings of a pasta that no one likes.
So serving time comes, and everyone’s nose turns up. I mean, this has everything that is on my kids “please don’t make me eat” list: onions, mushrooms, spinach. I mean, I guess I could have put beans and peas in there and done my best to really disgust them, but I thought 3 things was really pushing it! And A LOT of each of these things! So I give them each a small bowl, they each take a bite….and inhale it. And ask for more. And more. We actually didn’t have enough. I had a very small portion – which I will gladly give up given the fact that my kids couldn’t get enough of this!
Oh, and the chicken nuggets? They went untouched….I love my kids. 🙂
Leftover Smoked Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 1 cup smoked turkey cup up into small pieces
- 1 pound of mushrooms - I prefer baby bella's sliced
- 8 ounces frozen spinach thawed
- 1 onion cut up
- 3 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- Break your spaghetti noodles into short sticks. Cook as you normally would. Strain, and set aside.
- Saute the onion and the mushroom in the butter until they are tender - about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top of the veggies and stir well. Add the wine, broth and milk and stir occasionally. Once the sauce thickens, add the garlic, spinach, turkey, salt and pepper.
- Mix the noodles with the sauce and stir well. Pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top. Bake, covered at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
How much spaghetti do you use?
Probably about a half pound…though in my large family we almost always cook a whole pound box of noodles with every meal!
I missed seeing how much pasta to use
Unfortunately we’re bad about measuring pasta – we’re feeding 6 people so we always just cook the whole pound box! I would assume that’s the case on this recipe as well.
we have a turkey in our freezer that we plan to eventually smoke and i am totally making this! love tetrazzini!