Best Ever Turkey Sausage Casserole

Crispy, Creamy, Deliciousness oozing with sweet and savory flavors!

This is the best use of leftover turkey you will ever find!  Inspiration comes from one of my favorite cookbooks of all time: Marlene Sorosky's Year Round Holiday Cookbook, given to my wife and me in 1983!  Over the years we've made nearly every recipe and most are fabulous.  Our version of Marlene's recipe has evolved and her book is out of print but  I urge you to find a copy and buy it!

Handwritten notes on the pages of this 1983 Classic

Turkey Sausage Casserole

Ingredients

1 Pound Italian Sausage (mild or hot are both fine)

1/4 pound butter

3/4 Pound Mushrooms sliced

1 Large Shallot finely minced

4 Tbs all purpose flour

1/2 Cup Riesling Wine

1 1/2 Cups Chicken or Turkey Broth

1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 Tbs Dijon Mustard

1 tspn Kosher Salt

4 Cups Cooked Turkey cut into bite sized chunks

2 Cups leftover stuffing or one package Stove-Top

Sauté sausage over medium heat and add about a 1/4 cup of water making it easier to break up the meat into bite sized chunks.  When done, drain the pan, add to a large mixing bowl where all ingredients will be mixed later.   

In a large saucepan melt 4 Tbs. butter add shallots and  for sauté a minute.  Add mushrooms stirring regularly.  When mushrooms are almost done, turn heat to medium high, add Riesling and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and add flour stirring constantly until a roux forms.  Add broth and stir constantly until all lumps are gone.  Add heavy cream and dijon mustard while continuing to stir and bring to a low boil for one minute.  

Lovin' those shallots...

 Mushrooms make this dish mildly addictive...

Add grated cheese, salt, pepper and turkey mixture to mixing bowl with sausage and toss together. 

Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish and cover with stuffing mixture.  I break up the stuffing with my hands, no other method works better.  Sprinkle stuffing over top of casserole and place a few pats of butter over top.

A little butter never hurt anyone.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Yum... goes well with leftover mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, corn pudding and cranberry sauce.

The Finished Product fresh out of the oven

Utterly scrumptious, a real crowd pleaser and best consumed over the weekend after Thanksgiving and prior to the Monday dieting routine.

Buon Appetito!