Mom's Turkey Tetrazzini

My favorite Thanksgiving food is actually one that I make the day after Thanksgiving: my mom's turkey tetrazzini. I've never had turkey tetrazzini anywhere else so I don't know how this compares, but if, after Thanksgiving dinner, you are still in need of comfort food, this one's for you!

My Mom's Turkey Tetrazzini

1 lb. button or crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
4 c. milk
10 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 c. flour
1 c. turkey gravy (or however much you have left over, if less than that)
1 to 2 c. leftover turkey meat, shredded into bite-sized chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb. spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saute pan and saute mushrooms until soft and slightly browned. Set aside. Make bechamel sauce: Over medium heat, melt remaining butter in large saucepan, add flour, and whisk over medium heat for several minutes. Whisk milk into butter/flour mixture gradually until all milk is incorporated. Simmer sauce until it is thickened slightly and very velvety. Add turkey gravy and mushrooms and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in boiling water until a minute or two before al dente. Drain and return to pot. Mix in half of sauce and stir to coat. Pour spaghetti into 9" x 13" pan and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes until top is bubbling and delicious-looking. Add turkey pieces to sauce and serve over slices of spaghetti casserole. Enjoy thoroughly.

Thank you for all of your sweet comments over the holiday, and to everyone who left me nice comments about making my apple pie for Thanksgiving: Thank you! I am completely psyched that you and your families liked it!!!

Comments

[patty]

Ummmm. Sounds yummy, now I'm gonna have to go and make a turkey ; )
p.

[steph]

i have no more turkey meat left...ugh ! looks sooo good !

[nicole]

i never have gravy leftover! looks & sounds tasty.

[Janet]

Hmmm...I've been eying the tofu turkey leftovers (stop laughing-it wasn't bad!) I wonder if I could do a veggie version? :-)

[Susie Sears Taylor]

I know your mom's recipe is the best. If, in an emergency, all the gravy is gone I wouldn't hesitate to use my old family recipe for gravy made by the "CANNED GRAVY" family. I have had luck with fooling a crowd many times.

[rustandroses]

The Pie was sooooo good. And oh, so lovely. One of the tastiest, easiest, prettiest pies I've made yet!

Hugs, Jenny

(Oh! And please visit my new holiday blog! http:thecuriousholiday.blogspot.com )

[jeannie]

My mom always made Turkey Tetrazzini too and I had to explain what it was the other night. That's the only reason why I cooked my own turkey two days after, so we could have the Tetrazzini! Very similar recipe, just no turkey gravy added to mine, but I bet both are super good the day after!

[Jennifer]

It looks delicious, alas, the leftover turkey didn't last long at our house.

[rustandroses]

Oops! Correction:
http://thecuriousholiday.blogspot.com

:) Jenny

[Angie]

Wow. Thanks for the awesome cooking inspiration. Here's one thing I concocted recently that I wanted to share. It was so, so good. Doesn't pomegranate have some sort of meaning related to love?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29943342@N06/4148555134/

[Sara]

This sounds like just my cup of tea, er, turkey! Thanks for posting, will try.

[Sally]

Good gosh this brings back memories Alicia! My mother (aka The Casserole Queen) always made Turkey Tetrazzini and I loved it growing up.

Yours sounds much better than my mom's though. Hers was a "dump" recipe, using Campbell's Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken - no real gravy or white sauce in sight. And no real mushrooms either - just the microscopic mushroom bits in the mushroom soup. My mom would have used either Velveeta or Cracker Barrel in those days - Parmesan only came in that green can for our spaghetti hahahhaha. My mom also added bacon and peas.

Now I'm hungry for Turkey Tetrazzini! Wonder if there's a recipe for vegetarian Tetrazzini? ;)

[Debbie From Illinois]

This looks so yummy!!!! I will be making it tomorrow for dinner.

[Patty]

Oh I am soooo making this tomorrow as I have an entire basket of mushrooms I forgot to cook !

[Judith Norman]

Looks delicious, Alicia. I'll have to try making it. Happy holidays!

[Beth]

that sounds awesome and of course we have no gravy and only one piece of turkey left. Think I will make extra gravy this Christmas... and snag extra turkey. Yummy!

[alison]

I have fond memories of my own mother's turkey tetrazzini (and I also grew up in Illinois--Dixon). Now I need tofu tetrazzini, I suppose. Looks like there are other veggies with mom tetrazzini memories!

[Vicki K]

That sounds Totally Comforting. I think I may be able to squeeze a try out of the left leftovers.

[Delilah]

All my turkey is gone :(
~ next turkey, I'll save some to try this.

[Cathy Santarsiero]

The Mister polished off the rest of our turkey but I'll remember to pop back here next time. Your mom's recipe looks delish. Hope you're feeling sparkly again. Happy December Alicia! xo

[The Curious Cat]

that sounds yum! Thanks for sharing! I love the photo too! xxx

[LollyChops]

My moms is exactly like this... only she adds a little sherry... and wow is it ever good!

[Brooke]

Instead of mushrooms I added crumbled bacon. Wow! So good! Besides, we all need a little more bacon in our lives, right?

[Maritza]

wow ! Alicia that was spooky. I've never ever heard of turkey tetrazzini. I read your post then got on the tube (ie.London Underground )to go to work so I opened my book 'Never Eat Your Heart out' by Judith Moore page 151 TURKEY TETRAZZINI jumped off the page.However, I don't like turkey so I'm probably not going to try this recipe - sorry

[Jodee]

Made it last night - delicious and got rid of the last of the turkey!