A chef gives a loving tribute to her mother - plus one of her mom's recipes

For me, a recipe is like a sentimental greeting card or letter from a friend or someone you love. You tuck it away for safe keeping. You move it from house to house. And each time you pull it out, you are reminded of the people, places or occasions that made you hold on to it year after year.

My mother, Marie Reitz, taught me to cook, starting with German specialties learned from her mother, Cora Tschurwald. I didn’t realize then that those early after-school lessons in her spotless kitchen would create a love of food that would lead me to become a chef.

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Although she is no longer with us, her recipe box remains, providing a legacy of recipes to enjoy and teach to other family members not fortunate enough to have learned at her side. Every Mother’s Day, my fingers glide through those handwritten, yellowed-edge recipe cards. Just reading them reconnects me to my mom.

One of my most treasured recipes is her chicken tetrazzini. Although her roast turkey was always prepared perfectly (cheesecloth on top basted with butter was the key), it was that steaming casserole of turkey tetrazzini, traditionally served the day after Thanksgiving, that I waited for patiently every year. It was made with leftover turkey and, of course, homemade stock made with the turkey carcass.

Years after my early culinary tutelage, I went to cooking school, eventually opening a restaurant in Door County with my husband, Christopher. We put together a cookbook featuring the restaurant’s most-requested recipes, which, of course, I dedicated to my mother.

And the first recipe in the book? My mom’s chicken tetrazzini. Although we didn’t serve the dish at the restaurant, I wanted to share it with our customers with hopes that it would remind them of how cherished a recipe can be.

Serving turkey tetrazzini, the day after Thanksgiving was a tradition in my childhood home. My mom, Marie Reitz, used homemade turkey stock and leftover turkey for the casserole.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Recipe tested by Terri Milligan

Makes 6 servings

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (divided)
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds cooked boneless turkey or chicken, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
• 10 ounces spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions
• ½ cup diced onion
• ⅔ cup diced celery
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
• 1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saucepot over medium heat, melt 5 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour. Reduce to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.

Add milk, stock, wine, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium, stirring often, until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion, celery and mushrooms. Sauté until cooked through, about 2 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, diced chicken or turkey and sauce. Add ½ cup grated Parmesan. Mix gently to combine.

Coat a large casserole pan with vegetable oil spray. Transfer mixture to pan. In microwave, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, melted butter, remaining ¼ cup Parmesan and the parsley. Spread crumbs evenly on top of casserole.

Bake in preheated oven about 40 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.