Turkey Tortellini Tetrazzini -

Merry Christmas, y’all!

I hope you’re having a great Christmas day. Rob and I both had to work, but we’ve made the most of it. It definitely helps that are coworkers are like a second family to us, too. Working in television on a holidy is both mind-numbingly boring and crazed at the same time. The struggle was real when it came to finding news. The struggle was even more real when it came to writing it…

As witnessed in this great script I wrote of a live shot from the Tennessee Aquarium. Hey, when you’re working on a holiday, you’ve got to expect some leniency when it comes to effort.

I’m sure most people were either asleep or watching their kids shred wrapping paper while we were on air this morning. Come tonight, you’ll be swimming in leftovers. Turkey, cookies, candies, pies, mashed potatoes—how will you even fit it all into your fridge? I know mine looks like a masterful round of Tetris right now. There was a lot of pushing and shoving and rearranging yesterday when the door wouldn’t close.

I’ll give you, my dear readers, your Christmas present today. It’s my all-time favorite recipe to make with holiday leftovers (mainly TURKEY!). If you made a ham for Christmas, have no fear. This recipe works with both turkey and ham.

I found this years and years and years ago and have tweaked it since time has gone by. The main thing to take away is this: it needs to be almost effortless to make. Frozen peas, canned soups, and refrigerated pasta are the key here.

If you’ve ever had tetrazzini, you know the flavors. Homey, stick-to-your ribs spaghetti in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and onion. This has that same vibe but with the added pleasure of cheese. Everything is better with cheese.

Does anyone else feel like they’ve gained 20 pounds over the last couple of weeks? I know I do. I’ve been complaining to Rob that I need to go back to the gym while simultaneously stuffing my mouth with apple pie and Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream. This casserole sure won’t make you feel healthy, either, but it’s a great way to end the year.

Turkey Tortellini Tetrazzini

Servings: 6-7
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy
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A homestyle casserole made with leftover turkey, peas, carrots, mushrooms and cheese-stuffed tortellini.

Ingredients

16 oz. refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
3 TBS. butter
3 cups cooked turkey, shredded or cubed
1 onion, diced
1 (12 oz) bag frozen peas & carrots
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 TBS. butter, melted
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and turkey to the skillet and stir. Cook until mushrooms start to brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in peas & carrots, soups, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, milk, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until mixture starts to bubble.
Remove from heat. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, spray with cooking spray. Pour tortellini into dish, and then pour sauce mixture into dish. Stir until tortellini is well coated.
In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, Italian breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Sprinkle on top of tortellini mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add turkey and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are browned, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in soups, milk, peas and carrots, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until bubbly.