Tonight's Dinner: Cheesy turkey mushroom bake recipe

I love the holidays because there always seems to be turkey. It doesn't matter if it's Thanksgiving or Christmas, somehow a turkey always seems to be involved. And while there's nothing better than sandwiches the day after the big event, a turkey sandwich three days in a row gets old pretty quickly. That's when I start looking for alternatives.

Casseroles are always a good choice because they use up a lot of the turkey but you get to add in a bunch of other stuff as well to make a delicious, filling dinner. One of my favorite casseroles are those that use pasta as their base. I'm a huge fan not only because I love pasta, but my son does as well. See, he won't eat chicken or turkey if it's by itself on the plate, but if the poultry is hiding in some delicious pasta, there's a much better chance that he's going to clean his plate, and that's as big a holiday as the actual event itself.

Cheesy turkey mushroom bake

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces rotini pasta, cooked
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup half & half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups diced turkey
• 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms are tender, about five minutes.
3. Stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the milk and half & half. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for two minutes or until thickened. Stir in salt, pepper and turkey. Pour mushroom/turkey mixture into prepared baking dish.
4. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of cheese to the turkey mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

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Barbecued turkey flatbread
Turkey leftovers: A lot more than just sandwiches