Simple Turkey Tetrazzini is a flavorful pasta casserole dish. It’s perfect for using leftover holiday turkey, but tasty year round!
The whole family loves this Turkey Tetrazzini, as well as our classic version with chicken. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of baked pasta dishes, like our favorite Baked Spaghetti or Three Cheese Pasta Bake!
best way to use leftover turkey!
I love to gather with the Luna gang at Thanksgiving to fill our bellies with all of the classic dishes! Even with a crowd, we inevitably have leftovers – probably because we all love food, and bring way too much!
One item we always have leftovers of is Turkey. I have a delicious and simple recipe for all that leftover meat – because let’s be honest, you can only eat so many turkey sandwiches.
We have been long-time fans of Tetrazzini (mostly because it’s SO easy), but we’ve always made it with chicken. I wanted to modify this classic recipe to use turkey, and I’m so glad I did. The result was amazing – full of flavor, and perhaps better than the classic!
With an Italian-sounding name, you may be surprised to learn that this dish originated in America. It is said that in the early 1900s when Italian opera star, Luisa Tetrazzini, came to perform at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco the chef created this dish and named it after her.
Other sources claim the dish originated elsewhere, but either way – it’s delicious!
How to make Turkey Tetrazzini
This recipe really is so simple and doesn’t take long to prep and make.
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.
PASTA. Cook noodles according to box instructions. Set aside.
SAUCE. While noodles are cooking, mix butter, soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, and chicken broth in a medium bowl.
COMBINE. Mix well and add turkey chunks. Stir in noodles until well combined.
TOPPING. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, and pour in the noodle mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top, along with bread crumbs. These add a salty, crispy taste that is delicious!
BAKE. Heat it in the oven for 36-24 minutes, until the cheese is nice and bubbly, and voila!
The end product is a casserole dish full of creamy, wonderful comfort food.
recipe tips
Even my picky-eating kids enjoyed this easy Turkey Tetrazzini recipe. It’s impossible to go wrong with all the ‘kid-friendly’ ingredients.
To add a few extra veggies or switch out the type of noodles, here are some options to make it your own way:
- Pasta. Switch the linguine noodles for spaghetti, or egg noodles. Boil 16 ounces of noodles in a large pot of salted water for added flavor. Once the water is boiling at 1 tablespoon salt, then add the pasta.
- Mushrooms. Add sautéed mushrooms before stirring in the noodles.
- Peas. Add frozen peas when you combine the noodles and sauce mixture.
- Onions. Add diced onions to the mixture or green onions on top.
- Topping. Top the casserole with Panko breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping and fresh parsley for color.
- Soup. Use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of celery.
Use leftover turkey in recipes by chopping it up, bagging it, and freezing it to use in this recipe for later!
Storing info
STORE leftover Turkey Tetrazzini in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
FREEZE. Divide it into individual portions and freeze it for 1-2 months.
The easiest way to reheat the leftovers is in the microwave. It can be reheated on the stovetop, over medium heat, or in the oven.
Note that creamy sauce tends to get grainy when frozen, but adding a little milk or cream will help smooth out the sauce when reheating it.
FREEZE the entire casserole. Cool completely and cover it with heavy-duty foil. Freeze for up to 4 months. For a freezer meal, cook noodles al dente.
- Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before baking it. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes or so, until the edges are bubbling and it’s heated through.
- Bake it from frozen. Leave it covered with tinfoil and add an extra 45 minutes or so to the bake time. Uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking.
what to serve with turkey tetrazzinI
So many side dishes pair great with this recipe. Here are some of our favorites:
- Breadsticks
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Fried Zucchini
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Caesar Salad
- Roasted Vegetables
For more leftover THANksgiving turkey recipes:
- Turkey Soup
- Creamy Turkey and Noodles
- Turkey Cranberry Sandwich
- Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
- Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz linguine, cooked
- 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 10.5 oz. cans cream of celery, (or cream of chicken)
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, chopped turkey, butter, soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, and chicken broth in a medium bowl. Stir in noodles until well combined.
- Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle both cheeses on top and bread crumbs (if desired) and bake for 36–42 minutes, until cheeses are melted and bubbling.
Video
Notes
- Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before baking it. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes or so, until the edges are bubbling and it’s heated through.
- Bake it from frozen. Leave it covered with tinfoil and add an extra 45 minutes or so to the bake time. Uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking.
This is perfect for using leftover turkey!! A homey hit everyone loved.
Easy and tasty
This was a hit the day after Thanksgiving. Added some frozen vegtables too.
This is one of my favorite ways to use up a good amount of leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Even the kids love it, too.
It’s hard to know what to do with leftover turkey. This recipe is the perfect way to use it! My family loved this dish!
FOLLOWED RECIPE TO THE LETTER AND IT WAS DELICIOUS
Easy, delicious recipe. Yes, I would definitely make this again!
My husband said it was a “Top 3” dish of all time. Very flavorful and creamy.
Very tasty and easy. I added mushrooms and used chickpea penne pasta. (I figured it would be easier to serve than long noodles.) Would make again, maybe add some diced pimentos for added taste and color