January 8: Turkey Noodle Casserole

   Coarse salt
1/2 pound extra-wide egg noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 slices bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
1 package (about 1 1/3 pounds) ground turkey breast
1 pound white mushrooms, wiped, trimmed, and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
   Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons ground thyme or poultry seasoning
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about an 8-ounce brick) or other cheese of your preference
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
   Green tossed salad

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the egg noodles. When it boils, salt the water and cook the noodles al dente. Drain well and return to the pot.

Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and the bacon. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the fat is rendered and the bacon begins to brown at the edges. Add the turkey and brown it, crumbling it with a wooden spoon.

Move the meat over to one side of the pan and add the mushrooms and onions to the opposite side.

Cook the mushrooms and onions for 3 to 5 minutes, then stir the meat and veggies together. Season the mixture liberally with salt and pepper, and sprinkle in the ground thyme or poultry seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up pan drippings and browned bits. Stir in the stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in the cream and reduce the heat to low. Add the nutmeg and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Preheat the broiler to high. Combine the noodles with the turkey and sauce.

Grease a casserole dish with a little softened butter. Transfer the turkey-noodle mixture to the dish and top with Gruyere cheese and then bread crumbs.

Place the casserole 8 to 10 inches from the broiler and brown for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crumbs are brown. Garnish the casserole with the parsley.

Serve with the green tossed salad.

4 VERY LARGE SERVINGS

I made today's meal for lunch because I am going to Green Bay this evening for some shopping and a concert: just to treat myself to a little me-time. I think I will eat out tonight.

I used the wide egg noodles instead of extra-wide because I had them left over from the Goulash. I used turkey bacon for this recipe because I had some left over from the Goulash, too. I sliced my own mushrooms, but if you can get them sliced for the same price, I would recommend it. I used poultry seasoning, since I couldn't find the (very expensive) ground thyme that I just bought. Maybe I'll take it back, since I haven't seen any other recipes that call for that. (When I find it, that is.) I cut the amount of butter back from 2 to 1 tablespoon. I don't think I even used that much. I could not find Gruyere cheese, but I found baby Swiss and it was very good. I think you could use any kind of cheese on this and it would be good. The only thing I changed about her recipe was to add the salad to the ingredient list. She sometimes puts the side dish above the ingredients, so I forget about it.

This recipe is so good! I especially like the combination of the thyme, white wine, and cream. It's really tasty.