How to make turkey casserole with bacon and bechamel (video)
In culinary school, we learned about all of the classic French mother sauces. I have to admit, I was a little intimidated by them until we started cooking. Wait, bechamel is just flour and butter combined with milk? That's country gravy; that's not so hard!
The recipe below is a play on a Kentucky brown, also known as a hot brown: an open-faced turkey and bacon sandwich topped with a cheesy Mornay sauce. We skip the cheese, topping it off with a smooth and silky bechamel instead, and bake it casserole-style in the oven to make it nice and easy. This is an excellent way to repurpose your Thanksgiving leftovers, but I don't want to wait until Thanksgiving to eat this one again, so I usually use deli turkey.
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Cooktop Cove
Turkey Casserole with Bacon and Bechamel
2
15 minutes
30 minutes
45 minutes
4 slices bacon
2 slices white bread
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces turkey breast
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a casserole dish and set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat. Cook on each side until the slices are golden brown and crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside.
In the bacon grease, cook the bread slices until they are toasted on each side, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the bechamel by heating the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add the flour and stir with a whisk. Continue to cook, whisking as you go, until the mixture no longer smells like flour, about 5 minutes.
Slowly add the milk, whisking as you add, until the mixture is well combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg.
To build the casserole, place the toasted bread slices on the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Top them with the turkey, bechamel, cherry tomatoes and bacon.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and warmed through.
