Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Turkey tetrazzini is the perfect way to put leftover Thanksgiving turkey to use, but why save it for once a year? With creamy sauce, savory mushrooms, spaghetti, and a crispy topping, this is a recipe that deserves a regular spot in your rotation!
How long it takes: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: skillet, baking dish
Servings: 6
Don’t Skip The Crispy Topping!
Every year, I start the week after Thanksgiving with the best intentions. But then often we just end up eating piles of leftovers heated up in the microwave. And while that’s good too, this turkey tetrazzini is worth the effort.
This is the casserole that makes turkey leftovers worth saving. It checks all the boxes: creamy, cheesy, and loaded with pasta, with a crispy topping to boot.
What makes mine special:
- One pan recipe: In my version of turkey tetrazzini, the spaghetti noodles cook directly in the sauce, saving you from having to wash that extra pot!
- Perfect for leftovers: Once you tire of post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches and turkey soup, turkey tetrazzini gives you a kid-approved way to put leftovers to use. (Turkey salad is another great way to use extra turkey!)
- Make-ahead friendly: If you love to prep ahead, turkey tetrazzini is one of those casseroles that can be assembled in advance and popped in the oven whenever. (I love pepperoni pizza lasagna rolls and tuna casserole for the same reason.)
Ingredient Notes
This is an overview of the key players in this recipe. You’ll find a complete ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Mushrooms, yellow onion, garlic: Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms have more earthy depth, but white mushrooms are fine, too. The mushrooms are sautéed in butter along with diced yellow onion (pantry onions) and minced garlic.
- Chicken broth, half & half: The base of the creamy sauce is chicken broth or, if you happen to have turkey broth on hand after Thanksgiving, go ahead and use that. Half & half (a 50/50 blend of milk and cream) makes the sauce creamy. The pasta cooks right in the sauce.
- Spaghetti: Don’t swap in another pasta shape. This recipe was developed using spaghetti, and since other shapes have different cooking times and absorb liquid at a different rate, they may not work.
- Cooked turkey: You can use white meat, dark meat, whatever you like or happen to have leftover. (And yes, chicken also works in this recipe.)
- Frozen peas: While peas aren’t always included in tetrazzini, I like to add them for extra color and nutrition. There’s no need to thaw frozen peas since they cook so quickly.
- Cheese: A combination of mozzarella and Parmesan gives us the right balance of creaminess and nutty, umami flavor in the casserole.
- Fresh parsley: I think creamy dishes like this one benefit from fresh herbs to brighten things up.
- Crispy topping: A mixture of panko (coarse breadcrumbs), Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and olive oil is added to the top of the casserole. It will get golden brown and crispy when the tetrazzini is baked.
Recipe Tip
Allow the half and half to warm to room temperature first. This helps prevent the sauce from separating when the cream is added to the skillet.
How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini
Prepare. Measure out the cream before you start cooking, so it has a chance to warm up slightly. Grease a baking dish and start preheating the oven to 375ºF.
Sauté the onions and mushrooms. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the mushrooms and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms release their juices and begin to brown; this should take about 6 minutes, but watch the mushrooms, not the clock.
Add the next ingredients. Stir in the garlic and flour; cook until the flour is golden (this takes out the raw flour taste) and the garlic is fragrant. Slowly start streaming in the broth, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you do so. Once the broth is incorporated, gradually add the half and half while stirring.
Simmer. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Stir in the broken spaghetti pieces and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is almost—but not quite—al dente. (The pasta will continue cooking in the oven, so it’s important to undercook it slightly at this point!)
Make the topping. While the pasta is cooking, stir together panko, Parmesan, parsley, and olive oil in a small bowl until the panko is evenly moistened with the oil.
Finish the turkey and pasta mixture. When the pasta is nearly tender, fold in the turkey, peas, cheese, and parsley.
Assemble. Transfer the pasta and turkey mixture to the prepared baking dish and make sure it’s spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the top.
Bake. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake uncovered until the casserole is bubbly and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a bit, then serve immediately.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the protein. In addition to cooked turkey and chicken, you can use leftover ham (or cooked ham steak), or even make a meatless version by doubling the mushrooms.
- Add more veggies. I’ve made turkey tetrazzini with asparagus in the spring and it’s amazing! You can also wilt baby spinach or kale into the sauce.
- One pan option. If you have a large oven-safe skillet or a shallow Dutch oven, bake the tetrazzini in the same pan you cooked it in. Just add the topping right over the top!
What to Serve With Turkey Tetrazzini
Salad. Serve turkey tetrazzini with a crisp green salad tossed in a light lemon basil vinaigrette to balance the richness. Make-ahead carrot salad, German cucumber salad, or marinated tomatoes are perfect with tetrazzini, too.
Bread. Garlic bread or a warm Parker house roll is always a good side for a saucy casserole.
Simple veggies. When I’ve already assembled a casserole, I don’t want a high maintenance side, too. Keep it simple with air fryer carrots or sautéed asparagus.
Refrigerate: Store leftover turkey tetrazzini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze this entire baked casserole, covered tightly in the pan, or individual portions in airtight containers. Freeze for up to 2 months; for even reheating, I recommend thawing in the refrigerator first.
Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire casserole, covered, in a 350°F oven until heated through.
More Baked Pasta Recipes
Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients
For Casserole:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (or white mushrooms)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (more if desired)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or turkey broth)
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti (broken in half)
- 3 cups cooked diced turkey (see note)
- 1 cup frozen peas (unthawed)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
For Topping:
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Measure out 1 ½ cups half and half, and set it aside to warm slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish (see note).
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, 1 cup diced yellow onion, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Stir in the garlic and the flour, cook for another 1 minute, stirring constantly.3 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Slowly stir in the broth, scraping up any brown bits. Slowly add the half and half, stirring constantly.2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 ½ cups half and half
- Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, add the broken spaghetti by handfuls, stirring to separate the strands. Reduce the heat to maintain a lively simmer, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is just shy of al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.8 ounces dry spaghetti
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the topping by stirring together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.½ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- When pasta is nearly tender, fold in the turkey, frozen peas, mozzarella, Parmesan, and parsley.3 cups cooked diced turkey, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered until the casserole is bubbly and the topping is golden, about 25 minutes.
- Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes, and then serve immediately.
Notes
- Turkey: You can use white or dark meat, or a combination, depending on what you have left over. Cooked chicken can be substituted.
- Spaghetti: The dry spaghetti is broken in half so that it fits more easily in the skillet and cooks evenly. I don’t recommend using a different type of pasta, as it may affect the amount of liquid needed and cooking time.
- One pan option: A casserole dish is traditional, but if you have a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, you can skip the casserole dish and bake it right in the same skillet you started the dish in.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover turkey tetrazzini in a covered container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Warm individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire casserole, covered, in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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