Turkey Tetrazzini is a comforting pasta dish made with chunks of turkey and mushrooms folded into a creamy sauce and then baked with a crispy bread crumb topping. It is creamy, rich, and the perfect recipe for leftover turkey.

Spoonful of turkey tetrazzini coming out of white casserole dish.

When it comes to leftover turkey recipes, Turkey Tetrazzini is high on the list of favorite recipes. With good reason! It is creamy, hearty, flavorful, and easy to make.

But my recipe is the BEST version of Turkey Tetrazzini.

Instead of using canned mushroom soup, this recipe is made with a homemade parmesan cream sauce filled with fresh mushrooms. Folded around tender pasta, and leftover turkey, and baked with a crispy, buttery topping that adds not just texture but flavor as well.

While the homemade sauce takes a few extra minutes to make from scratch, it still comes together quickly and the taste is a MILLION times better!

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for Turkey Tetrazzini labeled on white counter.

Leftover Turkey: This is a great time to use leftover Cooked Turkey, Brined Turkey, or Instant Pot Turkey Breast. However, this casserole can also be made with leftover Rotisserie Chicken as well.
Noodles: Spaghetti noodles are classic in turkey tetrazzini. That said, you can use rotini noodles, small shells, or elbow noodles. Feel free to use whole wheat or regular noodles, even gluten-free noodles can be used.
Mushrooms: Button mushrooms are the classic addition to Turkey Tetrazzini. However, feel free to use baby Bella mushrooms, as they do add a bit more flavor to the casserole.
Dry Sherry: A little bit of dry sherry adds incredible depth of flavor to the homemade cream sauce. Feel free to use dry white wine (like chardonnay or pinot grigio), dry marsala wine, or chicken stock in place of the sherry.
Chicken Stock: Use either low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock. Of course, if you happen to have turkey stock, feel free to use that as well.
Milk: Use any fat percentage of milk. For richer results, use half and half.
Parmesan: While you can use pre-grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated Parmesan adds the best flavor.
Bread Crumbs: I recommend panko bread crumbs for the crispiest of toppings, but traditional bread crumbs can be used if that is all you have on hand.
Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves are my secret to a really good casserole made with poultry. The fresh thyme really elevates this dish. Feel free to omit if desired or use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves. Do not use ground thyme.

How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini

Step One: Prepare Noodles

While you are preparing the sauce for the casserole, cook the noodles in heavily salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package directions state.
Once the noodles are cooked, drain off the noodles, reserving ¼ cup of cooking liquid.

Step Two: Prepare Sauce

This sauce starts off a lot like my recipe for homemade cream of mushroom soup. It is super simple to make and so much tastier than canned soup.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Once the butter is melted, add in the sliced mushrooms and cook until brown and most of the liquid evaporates.
Add in thyme leaves and garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, just to toast the garlic.
Sprinkle the mushrooms with flour and cook for 1 minute to get rid of any raw flour taste.
Add in the sherry wine (or equal amounts of dry white wine or chicken stock) and cook until the liquid evaporates.
Slowly add in chicken stock, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly.
Whisk in the parmesan cheese and turn off the heat.

side by side photo of mushrooms in saucepan next to saucepan with cream sauce.

Step Three: Assemble Casserole

Add the noodles to the sauce, along with the reserved cooking liquid and cooked turkey. Toss everything together to coat the noodles with the sauce and distribute the turkey evenly through the mixture.
Butter the baking dish and add the noodle mixture to the baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs with melted butter, parmesan, and thyme leaves, and then sprinkle that mixture over the noodles.

Side by side picture showing pan mixed with noodles and sauce and baking dish with assembled casserole.

Step Four: Bake Casserole

Bake the turkey tetrazzini until warmed through and the topping is golden.

Baked Turkey Tetrazzini in white casserole dish.

Serving Suggestions

Turkey Tetrazzini is a delicious, hearty casserole that is best served with a fresh vegetable or salad on the side. Serve leftover vegetables or salad from your holiday meal or serve with one of the following dishes on the side.

Storage

Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, assuming your leftover turkey was no more than 24 hours old, as leftover turkey only keeps up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

More Leftover Turkey Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe for Turkey Tetrazzini, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Notes on Ingredients