Turkey Tetrazzini

Description

For poultry lovers! Serve up a steamy treat with other main dishes or appetizers to make it appetizing so it then keeps a red-hot aroma with the poultry.

Ingredients

Sauce

• ¾ cup butter or margarine
• ¾ cup flour
• 3 teaspoons salt
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 quart milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup dry sherry

Turkey broth

• 1 turkey carcass
• 3 cups water
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 2 carrots, pared and halved
• 3 celery tops, regular or Chinese
• 2 onions, halved, red or white only
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf

Casserole

• 1 (1 lb.) package thin spaghetti
• 6 cups leftover cooked turkey or cooked chicken, cut into 1½-inch pieces
• 2 (6 ounce) cans whole mushrooms, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) package sharp cheese (Cheddar, Swiss, Colby, Parmesan, or Asiago), grated (2 cups)

Directions

Turkey stock

1. Break up the carcass. Place in a stock pot with water, parsley sprigs, carrots, celery tops, onions, salt, black peppercorns and bay leaf.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered 2 hours.
3. Strain; Boil gently, uncovered, to reduce stock to 2 cups. This may be done ahead.

Sauce

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and mix with flour, salt, and nutmeg until smooth. Gradually add milk and stock or broth; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. Boil 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
3. Using a wire whisk beat the egg yolks in a small bowl with the heavy cream. Stir with a little of the hot mixture.
4. Pour back into saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is hot; do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the sherry.
5. Meanwhile, in a large stockpot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt and the spaghetti, cook as a label directs, and drain in the colander.
6. Return spaghetti to the kettle. Add 2 cups sauce; toss lightly until spaghetti and sauce are well combined.
7. Combine turkey and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of sauce to this mixture and mix well.
8. Divide the spaghetti in half and place in two 12 x 8 x 2-inch baking dishes, arranging around the edges. Spoon half of the turkey mixture into the center of each dish.
9. Reserve the rest of sauce for later use. Sprinkle cheese over spaghetti in each dish. Cover with foil; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

To bake

1. Line one of the baking dishes with foil; assemble the casserole as directed.
2. Fold foil over to seal; freeze right in the dish.
3. When frozen, lift out foil; remove dish from freezer.
4. To serve: unwrap, return to casserole dish, and let stand 1 hour to thaw.
5. Bake, covered for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until bubbly. The above preparation makes a company-attractive casserole. Serve hot and plain or with other main dishes.