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Turkey Tetrazzini is the ultimate leftover turkey casserole! Made with a simple, homemade creamy sauce, sauteed mushrooms, and leftover turkey, this creamy, this comforting turkey tetrazzini comes together with ease to deliver a family favorite casserole.
Looking for more Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes? If still have some turkey left after enjoying this turkey tetrazzini, enjoy Southwest Turkey Soup, Instant Pot Turkey Noodle Soup, or a Turkey Apple and Cheddar Sandwich.
This recipe for Homemade Turkey Tetrazzini is high on our list of favorite leftover turkey recipes.
Made with leftover turkey, tender noodles, a creamy mushroom sauce, and a crispy, buttery topping, what is not to love?!
And don't worry, even though this turkey tetrazzini recipe does not rely on condensed soup, it STILL comes together with minimal effort.
And after cooking for Thanksgiving, we all need EASY recipes that come together with minimal effort to recreate our leftovers into a delicious new dish.
How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook Noodles. Begin this recipe by bringing a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling, drop the noodles into the water and let them cook while you prepare the mushroom creamy sauce.
- Sauté Mushrooms. Sautéing the mushrooms and thyme in a bit of melted butter will begin to build a rich base for the turkey tetrazzini.
- Make a Roux. Whisk flour into the skillet, forming a thick paste, and let that cook for 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Deglaze Pan. Adding dry sherry or white wine to the sauce adds an acidic, rich note to the dish and really elevates this casserole.
- Whisk in Liquid and Seasonings. Slowly whisk the chicken stock and milk into the sauce. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper and let simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken.
- Toss Together. Toss the mushroom cream sauce with parmesan cheese, leftover turkey, and the cooked noodles.
- Assemble Turkey Tetrazzini. Transfer the pasta mixture to a large casserole dish and top with a mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan, and melted butter.
- Bake and Serve. Turkey Tetrazzini is a delicious, hearty casserole that is best served with a fresh vegetable or salad on the side. I like to keep it simple and serve leftover vegetables or a leftover salad from your holiday meal.
Notes on Ingredients & Substitutions
- Turkey: Use leftover chopped turkey from roasted turkey or Instant Pot turkey breast. Or SWAP the turkey out for leftover rotisserie chicken, baked ham, or Instant Pot ham.
- No Sherry Wine? A little bit of dry sherry adds incredible depth of flavor to the homemade cream sauce. That said, you can replace the sherry with dry white wine, such as chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, or dry marsala wine.
- Omit the Alcohol. If you don't care to cook with alcohol, use additional chicken stock in place of the sherry.
- No Fresh Thyme? Use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme leaves in place of the fresh thyme. Do not use ground thyme as the flavor is way too overpowering.
- Noodles: While spaghetti noodles are traditional for Turkey Tetrazzini, you can use elbow noodles, rotini noodles, or cavatappi.
- Hate Mushrooms? Omit them! The sauce will be plenty delicious without the mushrooms.
- Add Another Vegetable. Feel free to add up to 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables or peas prior to baking the casserole.
important note About leftover turkey
Keep in mind that leftover turkey is only safe to consume for up to 4 days after baking unless frozen. It is best to prepare and consume Turkey Tetrazzini within 4 days of preparing turkey OR use defrosted frozen, cooked turkey.
More Favorite Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes
- Pierogi Lasagna
- Thanksgiving Egg Rolls
- Turkey Wrap
- Turkey Swedish Meatballs
- Easy Potato Cakes
- Thanksgiving Pizza
If you enjoyed this recipe for Homemade Turkey Tetrazzini, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Homemade Turkey Tetrazzini
Video
Ingredients
For the Turkey Tetrazzini
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (not ground thyme)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup dry sherry, or dry white wine or chicken stock
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
For the Topping
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon thyme leaves, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃ and butter a 9x13 inch baking dish or 4-quart casserole dish.
- While you are preparing the sauce, cook 8 ounces spaghetti noodles in heavily salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package directions state. Drain noodles, reserving ¼ cup of cooking liquid.
- Mel t4 tablespoons unsalted butterin a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in 8 ounces button mushrooms (sliced) and cook until brown and most of the liquid evaporates. Add in 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves and 2 teaspoons minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms with ⅓ cup all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute to get rid of any raw flour taste.
- Add in ⅓ cup dry sherry (or equal amounts for dry white wine or chicken stock) and cook until the liquid evaporates.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock until incorporated.. Add in 2 cups milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in ½ cup grated parmesan cheese and turn off the heat.
- Add 2 cups cooked turkey and the cooked noodles to the cream sauce and stir to combine. If the mixture seems too thick, add in the reserved pasta cooking liquid.
- Pour the turkey and pasta mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Prepare bread crumb topping by mixing together the 1 cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) and ½ teaspoon thyme leaves together. Sprinkle that mixture evenly over the turkey casserole.
- Bake the turkey tetrazzini until bubbly and golden, for 20-25 minutes, or until warmed through and golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.
Great looking recipe! I know what I'm having for dinner tonight, yum!
Delicious! Great recipe to have on hand with holiday season looming!
How much nutmeg do you add? I couldn't find it in the recipe.
Hi Deb! It is 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Enjoy!
This is a great Tetrazzini recipe. I made it as written with the exception that I added 1 red onion chopped and caramelized. I also halved the recipe because there is only 2 people in my household. It turned out great. Thank you for sharing.
I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
It was easy and not as heavy as other recipes of other chefs. My family really like it. Thanks!
I am glad your family enjoyed this lightened up version 🙂
How would you alter to cook in an Instant Pot?
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.
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!
I am so glad you enjoy so much Wilhelmina!