Every year the day after Thanksgiving, my kids have no desire to eat leftover turkey for both lunch and dinner. Their favorite dish that I make using the leftover meat is turkey tetrazzini. It’s such an easy recipe to assemble in 10 minutes to serve a group when you really don’t feel like cooking.
The classic recipe uses cream of mushroom soup, but we show you how to make it easily from scratch in our recipe with pantry staples, so you don’t have to run to the store. It’s the most comforting meal, and we can’t wait for you to try it. If you need more leftover turkey recipe ideas, our leftover turkey salad or turkey wild rice soup are two other great options.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The best way to transform leftover turkey after a holiday meal. It doesn’t even feel like you’re eating leftovers.
- No canned cream of mushroom soup. We make it entirely from scratch and it’s super simple to assemble.
- Easy to serve a crowd and they’ll love it too. This turkey tetrazzini is always requested by our family the day after we roast a large turkey.
Tips for Busy Cooks
If you want to make this quickly on a weeknight and don’t have leftover meat, we recommend using store-bought roasted turkey breast or rotisserie chicken to cut down on the prep time.
What is turkey tetrazzini?
It’s a delicious, creamy Italian-American pasta dish that uses turkey or chicken (sometimes even seafood) in a cheesy mushroom sauce. According to our research, it originated in San Francisco. It was named after the famous opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini from the early 1900s.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Swiss cheese – The perfect melting cheese with mild flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – Adds saltiness to every bite.
- Butter – The cooking fat that adds so much richness.
- Flour – The thickening agent to make the base of the mushroom cream sauce.
- Heavy cream – Adds all the rich flavor and creamy texture to the sauce.
- Mushrooms – Use baby bella mushrooms or button mushrooms for this pasta dish.
- Spaghetti – The long noodles are so fun in a pasta bake. You can also use egg noodles too.
- Leftover turkey – Use either white or dark meat, or mix of both! You can also use leftover chicken.
- Peas (optional) – If you want to add some veggies to this dish, we suggest adding frozen peas. Add them when you add the turkey.
How to make this turkey tetrazzini recipe
Preheat the oven to 375℉. And spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 1: Cook spaghetti al dente according to package directions. And add the cooked spaghetti into the casserole dish.
Step 2: Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and seasonings and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 3: Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle in the flour.
Step 4: Stir until the flour is fully absorbed into the butter and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 5: Pour in the heavy cream and mix. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.
When heavy cream has thickened, sprinkle in the ½ cup of shredded Swiss cheese and mix until fully melted.
Step 6: Add in the cooked and shredded turkey and sprinkle in the fresh parsley. Mix and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until simmering.
Step 7: Remove the turkey mixture from the heat and pour it over the spaghetti in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese and the parmesan cheese over the casserole. Cover and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and the cheese has melted.
Step 8: Remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with more fresh chopped parsley, if desired and serve. Enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Use leftover turkey or chicken for ease. It’s a great recipe for the day after Thanksgiving. You can also use rotisserie chicken if you don’t have any leftover protein.
- We like to make a second tetrazzini and freeze it for a later date. This has helped tremendously on a busy weekday when we get home from work and school.
- Grate the Swiss cheese yourself. It makes a big difference in the texture of the bake. Pre-shredded cheese has a powder on it that prevents it from melting as nicely.
- If your cream sauce seems too thin after simmering, simply mix 1 tablespoon of softened butter with 1 tablespoon of flour into a paste. Whisk half of the paste in at first and see how it thickens. Add more paste as needed.
- Swap the heavy cream for half and half for a lighter option. This is an easy way to make the pasta a little bit lighter if desired.
- Substitute the Swiss cheese for cheddar or mozzarella. If you like the flavors of these cheeses better, they also work well.
Storage
Store any leftover turkey tetrazzini in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can reheat this casserole in the microwave or oven for a couple of minutes until warmed through. Add a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce.
Freezing leftovers also works well. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge before heating.
FAQs
Turkey Tetrazzini is a classic pasta casserole dish with a mushroom cream sauce and lots of cheese. It’s great for using up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.
A la king is made with diced chicken and vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, and peas. It’s often served over noodles, rice, or toast. Tetrazzini is a baked pasta dish.
Tetrazzini is a casserole that is baked with mushroom and turkey (or chicken) in a creamy sauce. In Alfredo, the ingredients are cooked and coated in butter and parmesan cheese.
Turkey Tetrazzini
Equipment
- Skillet
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti Note 1
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced, Note 2
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese divided, Note 3
- 2 cups shredded leftover turkey Note 4
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
To prepare the pasta:
- Cook spaghetti al dente according to package directions.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the cooked spaghetti into the casserole dish.
To make the sauce:
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and seasonings. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle in the flour. Stir until the flour is fully absorbed into the butter and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the heavy cream and mix. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.
- When heavy cream has thickened, sprinkle in the ½ cup of shredded Swiss and mix until fully melted.
- Add in the cooked and shredded turkey and sprinkle in the fresh parsley. Mix and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until simmering.
To assemble the casserole:
- Remove the turkey mixture from the heat and pour it over the spaghetti in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded Swiss and the parmesan cheese over the casserole. Cover and bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes, uncovered.
- Sprinkle with more fresh chopped parsley, if desired and serve. Enjoy!
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
Tried this recipe?
Make sure to leave a recipe review below!
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
Comments + Reviews