| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Inactive: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 1 pound short pasta, such as rotini or gemelli
- Kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 quart whole milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 small bunch fresh sage, leaves chopped
- 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs, or regular bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch pan with the vegetable oil cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until it has softened a bit but is still not quite cooked all the way through. (The pasta will absorb the liquid from the sauce as it finishes cooking in the oven.) Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, drain again, and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the turkey. Cook, breaking up the meat into large clumps, until it is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season it with a little salt and pepper. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to drain any excess liquid from the meat.
- Let the pan cool a bit, then add the remaining butter and melt it over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Whisk constantly until the flour has cooked but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the milk slowly, whisking to avoid creating any lumps. Add the chicken stock, cayenne, and nutmeg and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage and season with some salt and pepper. Fold in the turkey and pasta, making sure it is all well coated with the sauce. Pour into the prepared pan.
- To make the topping, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan and moisten with the melted butter. Spread topping evenly over the tetrazzini, put the pan into the oven, and cook until the top is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- You can also fill 8 individual greased 10 to 12-ounce ramekins with the tetrazzini and topping. These will bake in about 20 minutes. These can be frozen: Make sure they are cool, then add 1 tablespoon milk, chicken stock, or water to each ramekin. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and put them into the freezer. Poke a hole in the plastic wrap and microwave on defrost for 5 minutes, then microwave on high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the tetrazzini is hot and bubbling.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 617 |
| Total Fat | 29 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 33 g |
| Cholesterol | 106 mg |
| Sodium | 760 mg |
Reviews
What a great idea! Cooking the turkey and onions in bacon fat amped up the flavor. I used 2 teaspoons of thyme, 2 taps sage, a tsp of salt, and plenty of pepper to make it more herb-y.
My husband is not crazy abou casseroles, but he really likes this. I added a little sautéed onion, celery and green peas after reading the reviews. The sauce did not want to thicken but that may be because I use fat free milk. I will make this again.
I really enjoyed this, I thought it had great flavor, however most of that given by the sage and cayenne…without those especially the cayenne it would be very bland. I also put a good deal of black pepper in it, so that gives it a bit more of a kick too. I thought it was a little too liquidy but most of it did soak up when it finished cooking and settled. I could see myself making it again, but probably not too often due to the time it took to do everything.
We made this with leftover thanksgiving turkey — shredded. We subsituted whole wheat rotini from trader joes (more fiber and protein than white) and fat free half and half for the sauce. We reduced butter and increased flour and spices.
It was delicious the same night and for leftovers. Next time we are adding peas of fresh mushrooms to add a little something extra. Very good though!
I added onion and garlic , but I found this bland with not much taste.
I’d have to agree with the person that commented about the measurements seeming to be doubled. Up until I poured the milk into the saucepan, the consistency was thick. However, once I put the milk and the chicken stock in, there was very little thickening. I added other spices to keep the taste from being so bland. But in the end, the dish for me, was just okay. I wouldn’t mind making it again, but I certainly would reduce the amounts of liquids that I use
I made this with some of the review suggestions: added onion, a little sausage, and frozen corn. It was a great cold sunday meal, very hearty. I halved the whole thing for just my husband and I and I found the amounts were fine. I think the trick is knowing how to make a bechamel, that isn’t explained in detail and if you aren’t familiar with it (cooking the roux first, adding (warm) milk slowly, letting it really thicken) then I can see how it would be watery/dry. Using italian style ground turkey gave it a little more flavor too.
I substituted 3 hot italian turkey sausages for half the ground turkey in this, and for the sauce used 1/2 cup butter and flour, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 dry sherry. I added sage (along with salt & pepper) to both the meat while it was cooking and to the sauce later. I also added 2 cups of thawed peas. My sauce came out nice and creamy and very flavorful, this ended up being so delicious my husband and I couldn’t believe it!
This has become a staple in my house. My teenage sons love it. It’s very easy to make and delicious. I had never heard of Panko until this recipe. Now I use it in meatloaf instead of crackers! Yummy!
I loved this recipe because it’s easy to pop into an individual sized crock and freeze for busy weeknight dinners. It is a bit bland, however–I’d use a little sage to add flavor.