midwest neurotica

I may have to reconsider my list of the best comfort foods. I totally forgot the ultimate comfort food - the casserole - particular those made with cream-of-something soups and topped with golden crunchy little-bits-of-something. You may also know this as a ‘hot dish’. While Dr. Ding prefers tuna casserole topped with potato chips, I’ve got a preference for ground meat. I thumbed through the hundreds of casserole recipes, combining some of the best ingredients for this Ultimate Hot Dish: Turkey-style. Substituting well-browned ground turkey for beef lowers the artery-clogging saturated fat without sacrificing any taste.

Ingredients
1/2 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 oz linguine, snapped in quarters
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup american cheese, diced or shredded
2 T salad olives, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar pretzels, ground to crumbs
2 T french fried onions
1 T butter, melted

Cook turkey and onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until well browned. Meanwhile, cook noodles and drain. Melt butter and pour over pretzels crumbs and french fried onions to make topping. Fold together turkey-onion mixture, noodles, soup and milk. Turn into buttered casserole dish. Top with salad olives and american cheese. Add topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Broil for 2-4 minutes, until golden and cheese is melted.