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Simple turkey tetrazzini is a flavorful pasta casserole, perfect for using leftover holiday turkey, but tasty year round!
best way to use leftover turkey!
We love to gather with the Luna gang at Thanksgiving and fill our bellies with all the classics! 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, and although we love turkey sandwiches, our go-to main dish to make with leftovers is turkey tetrazzini. It’s easy, cheesy and delicious and is the perfect variation of our class Chicken Tetrazzini.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- It’s delicious! With butter, sour cream, cheese, pasta and more, this recipe is hard NOT to love.
- Simple. This recipe is so easy. Mix, combine, and dump for an easy dinner idea.
- Loved by all. Turkey on its own isn’t always the whole family’s favorite, but add tetrazzini and it’s a hit with everyone.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 35 minutes
- 16 ounces linguine – switch the linguine noodles for cooked spaghetti noodles, or egg noodles. Boil 16 ounces of noodles in a large pot of salted water for added flavor.
- 3 cups cooked turkey – this is a perfect dish for leftover turkey, but you can purchase fully cooked turkey or buy thick slices of turkey from the deli and chop it at home.
- ½ cup butter – use salted or unsalted butter
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of celery soup – or cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups sour cream – adds a creamy tangy flavor as well as thickens the sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth – chicken stock or vegetable broth can also be used
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs (optional) – or top with Panko breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping and fresh parsley for color
How to make Turkey Tetrazzini
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- PASTA. Cook 16 ounces linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- SAUCE. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 3 cups chopped turkey, ½ cup butter, 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of celery soup, 2 cups sour cream, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup chicken broth in a medium bowl. Stir in noodles until well combined.
- BAKE. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese on top and ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs (if desired).
- Bake for 36–42 minutes, until cheeses are melted and bubbling.
Turkey Tetrazzini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces linguine, cooked
- 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of celery, (or cream of chicken)
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs, (optional)
Instructions
- Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine chopped turkey, butter, cream of celery soup, sour cream, garlic salt, pepper, and chicken broth in a medium bowl. Stir in noodles until well combined.
- Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and shredded Mozzarella cheese on top and Italian bread crumbs (if desired).
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
> 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.
> Add some heat. For more spicy flavor to the dish by sprinkling on red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
Leftover turkey tetrazzini casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Reheat. 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.
Divide leftovers into individual portions and freeze them for 1-2 months. Add milk or heavy cream when reheating to not be gritty.
Excellent! I’ve tried several recipes over the years but this is by far the best. I didn’t have the celery soup so subbed with mushroom soup – one can included roasted garlic!! Because I had it leftover from Thanksgiving, I used stove top stuffing instead of plain bread crumbs.
This was very easy to make and delicious! My family ate half the pan in one sitting and wanted more! I do make this dish from scratch with an old family recipe but it takes a while and this was just as good and very simple. I meant to add mushrooms which I think would be good too.
Thanks for sharing! Adding some mushrooms in there would be super yummy!
Is that 16 Oz of dry pasta or 26 Oz cooked pasta?
If you just use a 16 oz box (1 lb) of linguine and cook it up, that should be just the right amount for the recipe!
Very good with chicken also! I added garlic and onion powder too.
Mmm sounds delicious! Yes, chicken is a great protein to use as well. So glad you enjoyed it!
Very easy. And super yummy. Thank you
You are welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
This recipe came out perfectly. My family loved it. Easy to make too.
Perfect! Makes me happy to hear! Thank you!
Easy and delicious! My husband doesn’t usually like casseroles. However, he eats seconds of this recipe.
Woohoo!! I love hearing that! Thank you!
My family gobbled their Turkey Tetrazzini up. Thanks for a tasty recipe that was easy to put together.
5 star dish
Made full batch with dark meat. Pulled out portion for granddaughter. Added mushrooms and peas for large batch; g daughter appreciated mushroomless
It was creamy and oh so delicious. Recipe a keeper. Great way to utilize left over turkey
This was very good but the sauce could have been more creamy, a tad dry. I only made half recipe and was plenty.
Thanks for trying it 🙂
How can this only have 4 carbs? 16 oz of linguini has over 113 carbs. In 8 portions, that’s a minimum of 14 carbs per serving alone.
Can this be assembled and then frozen to bake later? Sounds delicious!
I haven’t tried freezing before baking. Usually, you can’t freeze sour cream, but baked in a dish, it seems to be ok. Make sure it is completely cooled before covering it with heavy duty foil and putting it in the freezer. It will last in the freezer for up to 4 months. If you are planning to freeze the dish, cook noodles al dente. Reheat. To reheat, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before you plan to bake it. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35 minutes or so, until there are bubbling edges and you can tell it is heated through.