Ok. Show of hands. Who still has a bag or two of leftover Thanksgiving turkey stashed away in the freezer? Well, I for one am guilty. I had TWO bags in the back garage freezer that were looking very lonely and forgotten. So, it was time to use one while the meat was still gorgeous and fresh-frozen before freezer burn finally gets to it. I still have one last bag left, but for now, this Turkey Tetrazzini with Mushrooms & Olives was a wonderful treat and huge hit with the hubs!

I was very relieved, because “Mr. Picky Pants” had never had “turkey tetrazzini” before, and I prefer to make it my own way to boot. Red flags popping up everywhere…

Yikes.

But luckily, he LOVED it. This makes a pretty good amount, and I was worried that it all wouldn’t get eaten in time between just two people….pffffft!!! hahaha….we had NO problem polishing this off.

So trust me. It isn’t too much. Especially if making this for a family!

And I’m sure everyone in your family will enjoy this creamy, comforting dish! I mean, who doesn’t love oodles of noodles bathing in lusciously cheesy sauce, right? I used leftover turkey, but you could swap it for chicken if preferred. I also like to make mine with sautéed mushrooms, and enjoy adding sliced black olives instead of peas to my version. But you can go the traditional route if you’d like. (*Traditionally this dish just has peas only).

To gild the lily, as we are cheese gluttons, I add a nice blanket of melty cheese on top. Who doesn’t love twirling noodles with an extra dose of ooey gooey cheese? 😉 But if you think that it is too over the top excessive, you can certainly bake this without it. (*Just make sure to cover it so that the noodles don’t dry out on top). I hate baking noodles “naked”. To me, cheese always helps to seal and keep the top of the casserole moist and the noodles tender!)

Yep. Even the kiddos will clean their plates.

Seriously. Don’t you want to just pick up that fork and start twirling? 😀

And this reheats nicely, too, as you can see below! This was a plate that I reheated the next day at only 40% for 5 minutes in the microwave…and wa-lah!

So though this makes a good, fair amount, don’t worry. You’ll have lunch or supper for a few days in 5 minutes!! Who doesn’t love that?

This really doesn’t take long to make, either. Especially since the meat is already cooked whether you use leftover turkey or maybe a rotisserie chicken. Just plan ahead a little so that you can enjoy cooking, and not feel rushed and pressured.

It’s mild, absolutely delicious, and something that whole family will enjoy! So scoot out to the kitchen, have fun, and create this simple, timeless classic! Creamy Cheesy Turkey Tetrazzini with Mushrooms & Olives! You’ll be so glad that you did!

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Creamy Cheesy Turkey Tetrazzini

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Ingredients

For Vegetables:

• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 2 Tbl. butter
• 8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 Tbl. white wine

For Sauce:

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded 4 Cheese Mexican cheese, I used Sargento's Off the Block Fine Cut
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Rest of Ingredients:

• 2 - 2 1/2 cups chunky pieces of leftover cooked turkey or chicken
• 1 cup sliced black olives, slice in half (slice large ones into thirds)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded 4 Cheese Mexican blend cheese, I used Sargento's Fine Shred
• 1 (8-9 oz.) pkg. fresh fettuccine noodles
• a little more wine (or milk) to thin if needed

Instructions

For Vegetables:

In small sauté pan, melt butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms, onions and pepper, and sauté until mushrooms and onions are deep golden. About 20 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 more minute. Remove from heat, sprinkle with kosher salt, stir in white wine, set aside.

For Sauce:

In very large, deep frying pan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Do not brown. Lower heat if browning starts to occur.

Slowly whisk in milk. Whisk and stir until mixture comes to a simmer/low boil, stirring continuously for about 3-5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.

In small bowl, whisk egg yolks. Stir in 1 tablespoon of sauce while continuously stirring to make sure you don't cook or curdle the yolks. Repeat with another tablespoon.

Slowly whisk egg mixture into sauce mixture in frying pan, stopping to catch up and whisk, until yolks are completely mixed in and mixture is silky smooth. Stir in salt, white pepper, cream cheese, grated parmesan cheese, shredded Mexican blend cheese, and white wine.

To Finish:

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Bring pot of salted water to a boil, and boil fresh noodles according to package directions, usually only about 3 minutes.

While waiting for water to boil, add torn up pieces of turkey (or chicken), and sliced black olives to sauce mixture.

When noodles are done, drain well, do not rinse, and fold into sauce coating well. *If too thick for your liking, you can always thin it a little with about a 1/4 cup more white wine (or milk) if desired.

Pour mixture into greased baking dish, top with 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until heated through and cheese on top has fully melted.

Notes

*For the shredded Mexican cheese, I used an 8 oz. bag, divided.
**To reheat an individual serving, place desired amount onto a (microwave-safe) plate, and nuke at 40% for 4 - 5 minutes, or until heated through.