Turkey Tetrazzini is a creamy, comforting, crowd-pleasing pasta casserole and a delicious way to use leftover turkey. Made with chunks of leftover turkey and spaghetti noodles in a creamy mushroom and cheese sauce, it’s an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love!
Turkey Tetrazzini
You can do a lot with leftover turkey, but one of my favorite ways to make leftovers really last is to toss juicy chunks of leftover meat with creamy noodles covered in cheese.
Turkey tetrazzini has been a post-turkey dinner tradition in my family since before I was born. My dad learned how to make it from my grandmother, who made hers with canned cream of mushroom soup, chopped pimentos, and gobs of shredded cheddar cheese.
While her version was good, I prefer this homemade version better. If big forkfuls of sliced mushrooms aren’t your thing, dice them into tiny pieces. You’ll hardly notice they’re there at all.
How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini
1. Prep Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Shred the turkey and cheese (or cheeses!), and chop the veggies. At the same time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Soften the vegetables: Cook the onions, mushrooms, and garlic until softened in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or skillet set over medium heat. Stir in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce by half.
What Can I Substitute For White Wine?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from readers. In the case of this turkey tetrazzini recipe, swap the dry white wine for water, turkey stock/broth, or chicken stock/broth.
3. Prepare the roux: To simplify things, we’re leaving the onions and mushrooms in the pan – including them as part of the roux.
- What is a Roux? Roux is flour and fat (butter, lard, vegetable oil) cooked together and used to thicken sauces, soups, and stews.
Melt the remaining butter with the onions and mushrooms, then sprinkle everything with flour. Mix it all together until combined (it will form a thick paste).
4. Make the sauce: Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, chicken stock, or turkey broth, followed by the heavy cream (or half-and-half) — season with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme. Bring to a simmer before reducing the heat to low.
Tip: Add 4-8 ounces of softened spreadable cream cheese for a super creamy, luscious sauce.
5. Combine: Add the turkey, frozen peas, and half of the cheese to the sauce. Let things simmer and cook for a few minutes before seasoning with additional salt or pepper (and maybe some red pepper flakes) to taste.
6. Assemble: Mix the spaghetti noodles with the sauce before transferring everything to the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
7. Bake and serve: Transfer to the oven and tent with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered, remove the foil, and continue to bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve garnished with freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Sprinkle the top with buttery breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs, and cheese for a golden brown, crispy, crunchy top!
- Swap the spaghetti noodles for any other pasta shape or noodle, like linguini or penne.
- Reserve 1-2 cups of the boiling salted pasta water before draining your noodles. Use it to thin the sauce if it becomes too thick.
- You may also enjoy this chicken tetrazzini recipe.
Storing and Freezing Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini
- Can Turkey Tetrazzini be made ahead? Yes, you can prepare it ahead and refrigerate it before baking. Just add a few minutes to the baking time if it’s going straight from the fridge to the oven.
- How long does Turkey Tetrazzini last in the fridge? Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Can you freeze Turkey Tetrazzini? Yes. Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How do you reheat Turkey Tetrazzini? Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. To reheat in the oven, cover with foil and bake at a low temperature (around 350°F) until reheated. Microwaving is also an option, especially for single servings.
More Delicious Turkey Recipes
- Turkey Soup Recipe with Barley
- Turkey Stock
- Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
- Turkey Burger Recipe
- Leftover Turkey Cranberry Sliders
- Leftover Cranberry and Turkey Quesadilla
If you try making this Easy Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups cooked turkey - shredded
- 1 pound (16 ounces) dry spaghetti noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoon butter - divided
- 1 medium yellow onion - minced
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms - sliced
- 5 cloves garlic - minced
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken stock - or homemade turkey stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme - minced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups white cheddar cheese - shredded
- Fresh lemon juice - for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Shred the turkey – gather approximately 5 cups of cooked turkey and shred into small, bite-sized pieces (see notes).
- Boil the spaghetti – Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just under al dente. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables – Heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Prepare the roux – Over medium heat, melt the remaining butter with the onions and mushrooms. Sprinkle with flour, whisking continuously to combine the flour with the melted butter, forming a thick paste covering the onions and mushrooms (this is your roux).
- Make the sauce – Whisking continuously to prevent clumping, slowly add the chicken broth. Once the chicken or turkey stock has been incorporated, add in the heavy cream – season with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme. Bring to a low simmer, then reduce heat to low.
- Return the turkey – Add the turkey, frozen peas, and half of the cheese to the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes – season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble – Mix in the spaghetti noodles and mix before transferring everything to your prepared casserole baking dish. Sprinkle with additional thyme, if desired, and top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake – Transfer to the oven and tent with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the foil tent and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve – Allow the baking dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Jessica’s Notes
- Although this is a turkey tetrazzini recipe, boneless chicken will also work when a leftover Thanksgiving turkey isn’t available. Rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken breasts are a great option when you’re in a hurry. You may also poach chicken breasts which take approximately 30 minutes.
- Swap heavy cream for half-and-half
- Trade spaghetti noodles for egg noodles. Be extra careful to cook your noodles at least 2 minutes less than the advised package directions as egg noodles are more likely to fall apart when overcooked.
- Add different flavors with different types of cheeses – parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, shredded Italian blend, etc.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
This turned out fantastically! I opted out of using peas and substituted the drippings from the turkey for some of the butter in the roux.
I am glad to hear this turned out fantastically 🙂
can I use milk instead of the cream?
Yes, you can definitely use milk instead of cream in Turkey Tetrazzini. While cream provides a richer, thicker texture, milk is a great alternative if you’re looking for a lighter version of the dish. Keep in mind that using milk may result in a less creamy consistency, but it will still be delicious. If you want to thicken the sauce a bit more, you could make a roux with butter and flour before adding the milk, or simply simmer the sauce for a longer period to reduce and thicken it. This substitution is a wonderful way to adjust the recipe to your dietary preferences or to what you have on hand.
I plan to make a batch using leftover turkey and freeze it. Should I assemble and bake the turkey tetrazzini before freezing it or freeze first and bake it later after thawing?
For optimal quality when making Turkey Tetrazzini to freeze, it is best to fully assemble and bake the dish first. Baking beforehand helps to preserve the texture of the pasta and other components, preventing them from becoming mushy when thawed and reheated. The cooking process also allows the flavors to blend together more effectively, enhancing the overall taste. Additionally, a pre-baked Tetrazzini is more convenient as it only requires thawing and reheating before serving. Ensure food safety and maintain quality by cooling the dish completely, wrapping it well in freezer-safe packaging, and then thawing in the refrigerator before reheating.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! So many like this call for cream cheese and my husband is not a fan of that. This was perfect!!!!!! He loved it and so did I. I love the use of the white wine – it gave it an extra special taste. Perfection! We will make this every year around Thanksgiving time.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback, Amy 😀
This is a really good recipe! We had leftover smoked turkey, and I added thinly sliced celery for a bit of crunch. Some chopped carrot would be good too. Instead of cheddar cheese, I used gruyere, because I thought it would go well with the smoked turkey. It did! By the way, this makes a HUGE casserole! I divided it into two smaller ones and baked just one. I think I’ll top the second one with crispy, buttered panko bread crumbs.
It just now occurred to me I could have used spinach fettuccini to add more color and flavor! The beauty of this recipe is that it’s so good as is, but can be adapted to suit your personal tastes. Thanks!
This was delicious. My samoan boyfriend, he loves to eat, loved it and had seconds.
Thanks for the delicious feedback and rating, Lisa 😀
The best I’ve ever made! Absolutely delicious, and fairly easy to make ! Definitely will make this again
Thanks for the best feedback ever, Josh 🙂
My six-year-old granddaughter, Ava, has announced that this Turkey Tetrazzini is her favorite food in the whole wide world! And I have to agree with her! I was stunned at how much she ate and how quickly she gobbled it down. No pleading for her to eat this dish — she even had seconds! The whole family was amazed … and we all loved it!
Thank you for sharing that amazing announcement 😀