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White baking dish filled with homemade turkey tetrazzini and topped with melted white cheddar cheese.
4.89 from 151 votes

Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe

This easy Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe is a creamy, comforting, crowd-pleasing pasta casserole and a delicious way to use up leftover turkey. Made with chunks of leftover turkey and spaghetti noodles in a creamy sauce made with mushrooms and heavy cream.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 625kcal

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
  • 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!

Notes

Substitutions and alternatives:
  • 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.
Originally posted December 17, 2020

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 583mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 951IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 2mg
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