Name That Casserole
Oct. 9th, 2012 01:09 amI failed to get to the grocery store yesterday (or today) so I couldn't make the scheduled slow-cooker meal for dinner. I made this casserole from ingredients I had sitting around the house. My husband and our friend who happened to be over at dinnertime were very unhelpful with naming it: they came up with "Delicious Casserole" and "Nom Nom Nom." <shakes head & grins> So anyway, even though it doesn't have a name, I am sharing it with you. This recipe is all about "whatever you've got on hand."
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes (+ 30 minutes bake time)
Ingredients
Directions
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes (+ 30 minutes bake time)
Ingredients
- 1 pound package pasta of your choice (I used wide egg noodles)
- 3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks), divided
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease or other oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced or diced (your preference) - it won't be a tragedy if you use canned mushrooms ;^)
- 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 cups chicken broth (canned, made from bouillon cubes, or homemade, whatever you've got!)
- 2 cups milk (if you want to be decadent, use half-and-half or even heavy cream for some or all of this)
- seasonings to taste (I used salt, pepper, thyme, and "perfect seasoning"
)
- 5 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
- 1/2 cup Panko or other breadcrumbs
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, adding 2 tablespoons of butter (and salt as directed on package). Decrease cooking time a bit - you want them just slightly firmer than al dente. Drain and toss with another 2 tablespoons of butter while still hot. Set aside.
- Heat bacon grease in skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey and stir to break up and prevent sticking.
- When turkey begins to brown, add onion, garlic, mushrooms, and bell peppers to the skillet. Continue to stir occasionally and cook until turkey is done and vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Sprinkle about 1/3 of the flour over the top of the turkey mixture in the skillet and stir in. Repeat with remaining two-thirds. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat, for 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually add chicken broth, stirring after each addition until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often (and being sure to scrape the bottom to prevent any spots sticking), until thickened. During this cooking time, season the sauce. I like to season a bit, simmer, taste, and then season again.
- Lower heat and stir half of the Parmesan into sauce until melted. Stir cooked noodles into sauce (or vice versa) and spread the mixture into a buttered 13x9 casserole dish.
- Top the casserole with the Panko and the remaining Parmesan. Place in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly, with golden brown cheese on top. (A few minutes under the broiler will help to brown the cheese and will also brown the breadcrumbs.)
- Serve and listen to the muffled noises of happiness from your family/friends.