I love turkey, but it seems that other than Thanksgiving or Christmas, I do not use it very much when cooking. I was delighted when I found this Rachael Ray recipe for Turkey Noodle Casserole online.
You will need a half pound of extra wide egg noodles, extra-virgin olive oil, bacon (or turkey bacon), 1 1/3 pound of ground turkey breast, 1 pound of white mushrooms (sliced), one medium onion, dried thyme, dry white wine, chicken stock, heavy cream, 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg, butter, grated Gruyere (about an 8-ounce brick), plain bread crumbs, and parsley leaves.
In a large pot, add 1/2 pound of egg noodles to water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add a little salt then reduce the heat. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and 3 slices of bacon. Cook the bacon 2 -3 minutes until the bacon begins to brown then remove (you want the bacon fat left behind). Add 1 1/3 pound of ground turkey breast and allow that to brown, crumbling it with a spoon as it cooks. Moving your ground turkey over to one side, then add the mushrooms and onions to the other side of the skillet. Let them cook 3 – 5 minutes then combine the entire skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste and 2 teaspoons of dried thyme. Allow that to cook for 5 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of dry white wine. The wine should deglaze the bottom of the pan, lifting up the drippings and bits. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and bring your casserole mixture to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg then stir and reduce the heat to low.
Preheat your broiler to high. Mix your noodles into the skillet with the sauce and place the mixture in a casserole dish greased with softened butter. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with 2 cups of grated Gruyere and 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Place the casserole 8 to 10 inches beneath the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes – just enough time to let it brown. Remove from the broiler, garnish with 3 tablespoons of parsley leaves and serve!