Turkey Tetrazzini has tender turkey chunks, pasta, and peas all smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce. A perfect way to use up leftover turkey.
Tetrazzini is an easy Weeknight Dinner with pasta and meat all tossed in a creamy sauce. The traditional version is Chicken Tetrazzini, but we’ve used turkey leftovers in this version.
TURKEY TETRAZZINI
Casserole dishes like this one are the perfect recipes to throw together for easy, filling, comforting weeknight meals. The ingredients all come together in one rich sauce and then bake in the same dish. When it’s done, you’ll have a simple meal to feed a crowd that gets everyone asking for second helpings.
The creamy pasta dish is inspired by classic Italian recipes, however, Tetrazzini was actually created in the U.S. You can make Tetrazzini with chicken, mushrooms, seafood, or turkey (like we did for this recipe). The cheesy sauce is a great way to make any meat dish rich and comforting.
Turkey Tetrazzini is sure to become one of your favorite meals to make. The combination of turkey, noodles, peas, and a creamy cheese sauce are all mixed together easily. After the prep time, just put it in the oven to bake and your work is done. It’s the perfect way to repurpose leftover Roast Turkey to enjoy a whole new recipe!
MORE TURKEY RECIPES
Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Soup
Turkey Chili
Turkey Meatloaf
COOKING TIPS FOR TURKEY TETRAZZINI
- Prep: Preheat the oven and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Then bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the dry spaghetti until al dente.
- Creamy sauce: Add butter and flour to the base of a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir the melted butter and flour until they’re smooth. Then add the garlic and stir for another 15 seconds. Next, pour in the chicken broth and milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes until the liquid is thickened. Whisk in the mozzarella cheese until the sauce is smooth.
- Combine: Add the cooked turkey, spaghetti, and peas. Then toss until the ingredients are well coated.
- Baking time: Add the Turkey Tetrazzini to the prepared baking dish, and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
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VARIATIONS ON TURKEY TETRAZZINI
- Noodles: You can try different varieties of pasta instead of spaghetti noodles. Egg noodles, farfalle, penne, fettuccini, or linguine are all good options.
- Cheese: You can also try other varieties of grated cheese. Along with the mozzarella, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, provolone, or Monterey jack would taste amazing.
- Bread crumbs: For a crunchy bread topping, sprinkle panko breadcrumbs over the top of the casserole dish before baking.
- Seasoning: Try mixing some different seasonings into the pasta and turkey mixture. Fresh parsley, oregano, rosemary, black pepper, onion salt, garlic salt, or an Italian seasoning blend would all go well with the recipe.
- Mushrooms: Tetrazzini is often made with mushrooms. Try adding sliced white mushrooms to the dish.
- Vegetables: There are plenty of other veggies you can add to the dish like green onions, bell peppers, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach.
- Extra creamy: If you want to make the sauce even creamier, you can use heavy cream to replace the milk. Or, add a dollop of sour cream to the mixture for some thickness and extra tangy flavor.
MORE CREAMY PASTA DISHES
Baked Chicken Spaghetti
One Pot Chicken Caesar Pasta
Easy Alfredo Sauce (w/Cream Cheese)
Baked Spaghetti
HOW TO STORE TURKEY TETRAZZINI
- Serve: After baking, don’t leave this recipe at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Cover the dish in tin foil or plastic wrap, or transfer it to an airtight container. The Turkey Tetrazzini can stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: You can also put it in a freezer bag or another airtight container to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 cups chicken broth , or turkey stock plus any drippings
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 pound turkey meat , cooked and chopped
- 1 pound spaghetti , cooked 2 minutes shy of directions
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add butter and flour to a large pot on medium heat.
- Stir melted butter and flour until smooth.
- Add in garlic, stir and let cook for 15 seconds.
- Add in chicken broth and milk.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes until thickened.
- Whisk in the mozzarella cheese until smooth.
- Add in the turkey, spaghetti, and peas, tossing until well coated.
- Add to 9x13 baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Nutrition
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I used fettuccine, one cup 2% and one cup 35% and it was delicious and creamy. It is now my favourite way to use up leftover turkey! I kicked up the flavor a bit with lots of garlic and some salt and pepper.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Love how it is easy, and from scratch!