Ingredients

The following ingredients have 12 Servings
  • 16 ounces spaghetti, (snapped in half)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, (diced)
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, (minced)
  • 1 lb. baby Bella mushrooms, (chopped (optional))
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ cup heavy cream ((may sub milk))
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, smoked paprika, pepper
  • 3/4 cups freshly grated cheddar
  • 1 3/4 cups freshly grated Monterey Jack, (divided)
  • ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups turkey, (chopped (may sub cooked chicken))
  • 1 cup frozen petite peas, (not thawed)
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instruction

  • Pasta: Cook pasta just until al dente according to package directions – don’t overcook! Strain, rinse with cold water and toss in a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from clumping.
  • Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
  • Onions and Mushrooms: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and cook until mostly softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Sauce: Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and cook an additional 2 minutes (it will be thick, if not using mushrooms, you'll need an extra drizzle of olive oil). Slowly stir in the milk, heavy cream and 1 cup chicken broth. Whisk the cornstarch with the remaining 1 cup broth until smooth then add it to the pot. Add Worcestershire, chicken bouillon and all of the seasonings. Bring to a simmer until thickened (but not overly thick), 5-10 minutes.
  • Add cheese: Reduce heat to low and whisk in cheddar until melted, followed by 3/4 cup Monterrey until melted, followed by Parmesan until melted.
  • Add turkey: Stir in turkey and peas, followed by cooked spaghetti. Toss until evenly coated (it will seem like a lot of extra sauce which is a good thing). Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired (I like about 1/2 teaspoon more pepper).
  • Assemble: Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish. Top with 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese. At this point you can cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake or proceed with the recipe (see make ahead instructions in notes).
  • Panko topping: In a medium skillet, melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. Add panko and stir to coat. Continue cooking until crumbs become golden brown then immediately remove from heat and sprinkle over the casserole.
  • Bake: Cover casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish individual servings with chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.