Turkey Tetrazzini

This creamy and savory casserole is one of our favorite comfort food recipes; it just tastes so good on a chilly evening and pleases both children and adults alike. Make short order of the prep work by using store-bought rotisserie turkey or chicken. This recipe makes 8 servings.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients
For the casserole:
12 ounces spaghetti or linguine noodles, broken into 3" pieces
6 tablespoons butter, divided
8 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting the pasta water
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons dry Sherry
3 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the topping:
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook to very al dente, 5-6 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until brown. Remove mushrooms from heat and set aside. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to skillet along with flour. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Gradually add the chicken stock, milk, and heavy cream, whisking constantly. Cook until smooth and mixture begins to thicken, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, thyme, pepper, nutmeg, Sherry, and mushrooms.

Stir in turkey, peas and Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Combine pasta and turkey mixture in a large bowl. If you feel the combined mixture is too dry, add a bit of the reserved pasta water and stir gently. The casserole will dry out a bit in the oven so take that into account when you adjust for overall consistency.

Transfer mixture to a greased 9X13-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes. If desired, broil briefly to brown top. Serve immediately.