- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ⅓ cup (42g) all-purpose flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups 2% milk (could substitute whole milk; non-fat makes the sauce a tad watery)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sherry (optional)
- 4 cups cooked turkey or chicken (about 1¼ lbs or 680g)), shredded or cut into bite-size pieces
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced or quartered
- 1 small or ½ a large bunch kale (5-6 ounces), tough stems removed and coarsely chopped
- 8 ounces spaghetti (gluten-free if needed*)
- ⅓-½ cup slivered or sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup (27g) grated Parmesan cheese
Turkey (or Chicken) Tetrazzini with Mushrooms and Kale
Yield: 6-8 servings
Once you have completed the first step and added the cooked poultry, you have creamed chicken or turkey, which can be a dish unto itself or used in a pot pie or casserole. In the former option, it may be served over pasta, on crusty toast, or in puff pastry shells. I have created a version that is lighter than most recipes by using olive oil in place of butter and 2% milk in lieu of cream, although you could use these ingredients if preferred.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Heat the ¼ cup olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk or stir until smooth, about a minute. Add the chicken broth and stir until smooth again. Pour in the milk, increase the heat to medium, and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the optional sherry and nutmeg, the turkey or chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. (I add about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper at this point.)
- In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, cook the mushrooms in the remaining tablespoon olive oil until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped kale, in batches if necessary, and toss until just barely wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water according to the package directions and drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Stir the cooked spaghetti, the reserved cooking liquid, and the mushroom/kale mixture into the turkey mixture and toss until just combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the almonds and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown. (Make-ahead tip: you may prepare up to the baking point, and then cover and refrigerate. In this case, you will need to add approximately 10 more minutes to the baking time.
Notes
*I recently used Banza spaghetti, which is a pasta made from chickpeas, in this casserole. Nobody noticed any difference in flavor, and I liked that this pasta didn’t break as easily as many gluten-free spaghetti noodles.
A few more things…
•This recipe may also be baked in two 9-inch cake pans, two 9-inch deep dish pie plates, or two 8-inch square pans－or a combination. Freeze one for later use, enjoy leftovers later in the week, or surprise a friend with a ready-made meal!
•The sherry and nutmeg add great flavor but, if you don’t have them on hand and would not use them in other recipes, there is no need to make a special purchase.