Turkey Tetrazzini
This simple Turkey Tetrazzini recipe is not only a great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey, you can make it with leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken to turkey breast which is often available already roasted at grocery stores this time of year.
It’s the day after Thanksgiving and your stuffed…well almost.
When looking for a way to use up all your holiday leftovers, look no further than this deliciously creamy Turkey Tetrazzini!
This dish continues to offer the comfort that your Thanksgiving meal did, but with a twist.
Just saute mushrooms and onions in butter, the combination go a long way to add some succulent flavors that will delight your taste buds, and help to transform some of those turkey leftovers!
If you have leftover ham, don’t miss seeing this great ham fried rice recipe.
Keep this recipe in mind
- for a delicious and gourmet flavor to kick up weeknight meals.
- Great for a dinner gathering to serve many
- has a gourmet flavor that is perfect to bring to someone special
Now, let’s get cooking!
My best tip to get all your ingredients prepped which includes chopping your onions and mushrooms.
Whenever I’m making gravy for a dish, I want the process to go smooth, so having everything pre-measured and on-hand makes everything problem-free.
To begin, Boil the water for the pasta. While waiting for the water to come to a rolling boil, you can begin to saute your vegetables.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat and saute your mushrooms and onions until soft, about 2 minutes. Then, set aside.
Once your water comes to a boil, dump your egg noodles in the water and cook according to package directions. You’ll want to subtract 1 minute of time however as we will be finishing this dish in the oven. Once finished, drain in the colander and set aside.
You can use any type of pasta/noodles, I prefer the texture of egg noodles in this dish, egg noodles also reheat really well. This dish is great with ziti noodles, penne, and bow ties are fun as well. Thinner noodles like spaghetti tend to break apart easily so stick to a little thicker noodle.
Next:
Add in cheeses and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened.
Then remove from the heat.
Then add in your mushroom and onion mix with the turkey.
Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and parsley just before you don’t stir, and VOILA…
Then pour the mixture into a 13×9 casserole pan.
Finally, mix the breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir to combine, put on top of the baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center of the casserole is heated thoroughly and breadcrumbs are toasted.
That’s it! It’s so delicious you’ll find yourself making this dish throughout the year!
Can I replace the protein?
Yes, absolutely! Chicken is a great substitute and a common one!
Could I add other spices to this recipe?
Garlic is a great addition here, and sometimes a little thyme or sage is nice as well.
Can I freeze this?
This isn’t a dish I’d recommend freezing as it can cause the sauce to break. However, it can be stored in your fridge for 3-4 days.
And I have loads of great recipe ideas for making good use of leftovers in creative and new ways, such as:
- Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole – This is a fantastic use of all the gravy leftover. And it has layers of flavors, using cheese and broccoli as its main ingredients.
- Leftover Ham Fried Rice – And I know not all of you are turkey lovers, so this one was made with my ham fans in mind.
- Pizza with Leftover Turkey and Roasted Cranberries – This one is perfect for you if you are a sweet/savory fiend like I am!
As with most recipes involving turkey leftover, cooked chicken can be an easy substitute, so this can be enjoyed all year long.
Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 10-12 oz mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup diced onion
- 6 tablespoons butter divided 4T, 1T, 1T
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 lb egg noodles or similar size package
- 1-½ cups milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 lb cooked turkey (or chicken
- ¼ cup romano cheese
- 3 oz grated Jarlsberg cheese
- Pinch nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon parsley freshly chopped
- ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
- Add in 2 cups fresh spinach (stir in as you put everything in the casserole dish, it'll cook down when it bakes)
- Add 1 tablespoon fresh/minced garlic when you saute the onions and mushrooms
- Use 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice if you omit the wine
Instructions
- In a skillet on the stove saute mushrooms with 1 tablespoon butter for 2 minutes.
- In a 4 quart pot cook egg noodles according to the package, but subtract 1 minute so the noodles are a little firmer so they don’t fall apart when baked.
- Drain noodles in a colander.
- Preheat oven to 375°
- In the pot over medium-high heat, put 4 tablespoons butter and flour, cook for 1 minute, slowly add in chicken broth, heavy cream, and wine (I put these all in one measuring cup that is easy to pour from).
- Add in cheeses and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened.
- Add in the mushroom mixture.
- Add in the noodles and stir to combine.
- Next stir in turkey (or chicken)
- Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Pour mixture into a 13x9 casserole pan.
- Mix breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir to combine, put on top of the baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center of the casserole is heated thoroughly and breadcrumbs are toasted.
