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.

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

- 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.

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.

Step Four: Bake Casserole
- Bake the turkey tetrazzini until warmed through and the topping is golden.

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
Ingredients
For the Turkey Tetrazzini
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (not ground thyme)
- ⅓ cup dry sherry or dry white wine or chicken stock
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup parmesan Cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 2 cups cooked turkey cubed
For the Topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ teaspoon thyme leaves optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 9x13 inch baking dish or 4 quart casserole dish.
- While you are preparing the sauce, cook the noodles in heavily salted boiling water for 1 minute less than package directions state. Drain noodles, reserving ¼ cup of cooking liquid.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in sliced mushrooms and cook until brown and most of the liquid evaporates.
- Add in thyme leaves and garlic, if using, and cook for 1 minute longer.
- 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 for dry white wine or chicken stock) and cook until the liquid evaporates.
- Slowly add in chicken stock, whisking into the mushrooms. Add in milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and bring the sauce to a simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and turn off the heat.
- Add turkey and cooked noodles to the cream sauce and stir to combine. If the mixture seems too thick, add in the reserved pasta sauce.
- Pour mixture into the casserole dish and sprinkle the bread crumb topping evenly over the baking dish.
- Prepare bread crumb topping by mixing together the bread crumbs, parmesan, thyme, and butter together.
- Bake the turkey tetrazzini until bubbly and golden, for 20-25 minutes.
DANIEL ALSPAUGH
Amazingly delicious, next time I hope to have sherry and nutmeg to add. I added some onion. My suggestion if it was dry is don't over cook and if it seems a little runny that's OK because by the time it has cooked and sits for a bit it will evaporate some but I'm careful not to lose the creamy taste.
Kim
Very good. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks, Kim! I love hearing you enjoyed this recipe for Tetrazzini.
Angela mughal
I not only did the way you said; I also did layer of spaghetti, Frozen peas, Frozen zucchini blend: and turkey then repeat layer of spaghetti, peas, zucchini blend and this time instead of turkey I added leftover ham then layer of spaghetti. In sauce along with parietal I also added shredded Colby jack cheese. I also added some cinnamon to sauce and fresh minced garlic; celery and carrots.Then topped with the shredded cheese then panko noodles. This dish is out of this world. Kids love it.
Diana
Great looking recipe! I know what I'm having for dinner tonight, yum!
Nellie Tracy
Delicious! Great recipe to have on hand with holiday season looming!
Deb
How much nutmeg do you add? I couldn't find it in the recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Deb! It is 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Enjoy!
Araceli Rodriguez
It was easy and not as heavy as other recipes of other chefs. My family really like it. Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
I am glad your family enjoyed this lightened up version 🙂
Deborah Schroder
How would you alter to cook in an Instant Pot?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Deborah, I have not tried this recipe in the Instant Pot and it would take a lot of experiments in order to get the proportions correct and not get a burn notice.
wilhelmina
I have made this several times and it is pure comfort food! It is great for using up leftovers but totally worth cooking up chicken or turkey just to make this. So yummy!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoy so much Wilhelmina!