Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 40–50 minutes
500 g (1 lb) cooked turkey, cut into bite-sized pieces
25 g (1 oz) butter
125 g (4 oz) blanched almonds
50 g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
75 g (3 oz) brown breadcrumbs
Cheese & spinach sauce
25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter
25 g (1 oz) plain flour
600 ml (1 pint) milk
50 g (2 oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
75 g (3 oz) baby spinach
salt and pepper
Arrange the turkey in a shallow ovenproof dish. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the almonds and toss until they are golden. Sprinkle the nuts and butter over the turkey.
Melt the butter for the sauce in a saucepan. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring after each addition, then simmer for 2 minutes. Add the Cheddar and garlic, season to taste and stir until the cheese has melted, then stir in the baby spinach.
Pour the sauce over the turkey, then mix together the Parmesan, parsley and breadcrumbs and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the turkey. Bake in a preheated oven, 160°C (325°F), Gas Mark 3, for 30–40 minutes until golden and bubbling.
For turkey, blue cheese & pine nuts au gratin, substitute 150 g (5 oz) pine nuts for the blanched almonds. Omit the butter and toast the pine nuts under a preheated hot grill for a few minutes, shaking to prevent burning. Set aside 25 g (1 oz) toasted nuts and mix the rest with the turkey in an ovenproof dish. Make a cheese sauce as above, replacing the Cheddar with 50 g (2 oz) crumbled mild blue cheese. Assemble the dish and bake as above, sprinkling with the reserved toasted pine nuts to serve.