This creamy and comforting Turkey Tetrazzini is one of my favorite meals to make with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It works equally well with leftover chicken and I often buy rotisserie chicken to use.
Tetrazzini Ingredients
In my opinion, the mushrooms and peas are essential for a tetrazzini. They’re my favorite part and I’ll admit that whenever I dish myself up, I always dig for a few extra mushrooms. A splash of sherry and a pinch of nutmeg also add wonderful flavor to a tetrazzini.
Variations
That being said, Turkey Tetrazzini is very adaptable and forgiving and you can leave any of these ingredients out to suit your taste.
- Try adding broccoli or even green beans instead of peas or mushrooms.
- No turkey? Use rotisserie chicken instaed.
- I love the flavor the sherry gives this casserole, but it can be left out.
- Use another pasta shape in place of spaghetti.
Because when you have a creamy, cheesey sauce pretty much anything tastes good in it.
From Scratch Recipe
Quite a few Turkey Tetrazzini recipes use Condensed Soup to make preparation quick and easy and I make a lot of casseroles using condensed soup, including tetrazzini on occasion. But this one is from scratch with a creamy sauce made from butter, flour, chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream. If you don’t like cooking with canned soup, this is a great recipe to try.
Make Ahead
Like most casseroles, Turkey Tetrazzini can be made ahead of time. Another reason it’s a family favorite. Just get it all assembled, wrap with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Take it out, discard the plastic wrap and add a few minutes to the baking time. You have yourself a hassle free weeknight meal.
How To Store
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Can It Be Frozen?
Yes. Freeze the unbaked casserole for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. I recommend waiting to add the bread crumb topping until just before baking.
Everyone will want seconds of this hot and creamy meal.
More Leftover Turkey Recipes
- Southwestern Turkey Ranch Casserole
- Creamy Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Leftover Turkey Jambalaya
- Turkey Broccoli Alfredo
- Turkey Corn Chowder
- Turkey Florentine
And if you have some leftover ham, try this Ham Tetrazzini Recipe!
Turkey Tetrazinni
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti,, snapped in half
- 6 tablespoons butter,, divided
- 8 ounces white mushrooms,, sliced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Sherry
- 3 cups chopped, cooked turkey or chicken
- 1/2 to 1 cup frozen green peas,, defrosted
- 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Topping
- 1/2 cup homemade bread crumbs, or panko crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter,, melted
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook to al dente and drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- While water is coming to a boil, add 2 tablespoons butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until brown. Remove mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
- Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to skillet along with flour. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the chicken stock, milk, and heavy cream, whisking well to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and bubbly, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add salt, thyme, pepper, nutmeg, lemon juice, Sherry, and mushrooms.
- Stir in turkey, peas and Parmesan cheese. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet, or if not enough room combine both in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid if mixture is too dry.
- Transfer mixture to a greased 9X13-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Scatter on top of casserole. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes. If desired, broil briefly to brown top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published September 29, 2014.
Yum! I loooove turkey tetrazzini! When I was a kid, my mom would always make it after Thanksgiving with leftover turkey—Soo good. 😀 I can’t wait to try you version! It looks like comfort food x1000.
This turkey tetrazzini looks incredible! Quick meals that you can make ahead of time are my favorite! Yup, – I’m with you – the peas and mushrooms are essential in here 🙂
I want seconds and I haven’t even tried it yet! It looks delicious! I would probably fight you over those mushrooms! Yumm. ps- I want that baking dish so badly!
This dish sounds like the perfect comfort food! Love that you can easily customize it to fit your taste. Wonderful recipe!
Turkey tetrazzini is the perfect comfort food to me! This dish is just calling my name, Christin. It looks incredible! And I love your casserole dish, too! 🙂
I am not a huge fan of canned condensed soups in casseroles – so this is perfect! I might replace the cream with a lactose free version but otherwise am so loving this one-dish recipe!
I agree — peas and mushrooms — absolutely essential for tetrazzini. Tetrazzini is one of those dishes that I will never get sick of, it’s one of my favorite comfort meals!
I was just thinking I needed to make chicken tetrazzini soon, and it’s so great with turkey, too! I made it last year with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. My stomach is now growling, and I gotta make this soon!
This is taking me back to childhood! My mom used to make chicken tetrazzini all the time. I loved it of course, probably because it is so fun to say tetrazzini, felt like a big word when I was little. I love that you made your own sauce rather than buying canned. I bet that makes it taste much better.
This looks way too good! Had to pin it!