Turkey Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound extra wide egg noodles
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 3 slices bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
• 1 1/3 pound, the average weight of 1 package, ground turkey breast
• 1 pound white mushrooms, wiped, trimmed and sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme or poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock, available on soup aisle, eyeball it
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, 3 turns of the pan
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 cups grated Gruyere, about an 8-ounce brick
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boilfor your egg noodles. When it boils, salt the water and cook noodles to al dente.

Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and bacon or turkey bacon. Render the bacon fat 2 to 3 minutes, until bacon begins to brown at edges. Add meat and brown it, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Move the meat over to 1 side of the pan and add mushrooms and onions to the opposite side. Cook mushrooms and onions 3 to 5 minutes, then combine the meat with veggies and season the mixture liberally with salt and pepper, then sprinkle in the ground thyme or poultry seasoning. Cook another 5 minutes then add wine. Deglaze the pan, lifting up pan drippings and bits. Stir in stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in cream and reduce the heat to low. Add nutmeg to sauce and stir. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Preheat broiler to high. Combine noodles with turkey and sauce. Grease a casserole dish with a little softened butter nested in a piece of paper towel then transfer the turkey noodle mixture to the dish. Top the casserole with Gruyere then bread crumbs. Place the casserole 8 to 10 inches from the broiler and brown 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted and the crumbs are brown. Remove from oven and garnish the casserole with parsley.