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Simple turkey tetrazzini is a flavorful pasta casserole dish. It’s perfect for using leftover holiday turkey, but tasty year round!
We love this baked pasta dish, and if you do too, you will also love our Baked Spaghetti, Pasta Bake, Baked Ziti!
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, and although we love Turkey Sandwiches, our go to recipe to make with leftover Thanksgiving turkey is the Turkey Tetrazzini.
We love it because:
- It’s delicious! We have been long-time fans of Chicken Tetrazzini and this recipe is a variation of it that is SO yummy!
- Simple. This recipe is so easy. Mix, combine and dump in the dish are the main steps.
- Loved by all. Turkey on it’s own isn’t always the whole family’s favorite, but put in this tetrazzini, and it’s a hit with everyone.
Ingredients
- 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.
- cooked turkey
- butter
- cream of celery soup (or cream of chicken or cream of mushroom)
- sour cream
- garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- pepper
- chicken broth
- grated Parmesan cheese
- shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 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.
- PASTA. Cook noodles according to box instructions. Set aside.
- SAUCE. While noodles are cooking, make creamy sauce by mixing 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!
recipe tips
Change it up:
- 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. Add some spicy flavor to the dish by sprinkling on some red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
Use leftover turkey in recipes by chopping it up, bagging it, and freezing it to use in this recipe for later!
Storing
- STORE 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.
- FREEZE. Divide leftovers into individual portions and freeze them for 1-2 months. You may need add milk or heavy cream when reheating to not be gritty.
- 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°F 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.
- 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.
For More Leftover Turkey Dinner Ideas, Try:
- Turkey Soup
- Creamy Turkey and Noodles
- Turkey Cranberry Sandwich
- Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
- Turkey Pot Pie
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
Simple turkey tetrazzini is a flavorful pasta casserole dish. It's perfect for using leftover holiday turkey, but tasty year round!
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
- 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, combine 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
STORE leftover turkey tetrazzini in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 63mg, Sodium: 672mg, Potassium: 80mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 685IU, Vitamin C: 1.8mg, Calcium: 162mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is our favorite meal to make after Thanksgiving with all the leftover turkey!! My family loves it!! It’s so creamy & delicious & super easy to make!
Such a good way to reuse leftover thanksgiving turkey. My kids love this dish!
This is my FAVORITE recipe to make every year after Thanksgiving! I think my kids love this dinner more than Thanksgiving dinner itself!
This is a go-to recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers! Sooo easy & so delicious- I like adding in some mushrooms too!
So good! Family staple now. I just made with the Argentinian shrimp from Trader Joe’s instead of Turkey and it was AMAZING!
Ooh I bet it was delicious with the shrimp! Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m glad you loved the recipe!
Usually during Thanksgiving, I buy extra turkey breasts when they are on sale and freeze them to use throughout the year. Yesterday I used one to make open faced hot turkey and mashed potato sandwiches. Used the rest today to make this for lunch. Delish!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I made this last night – big hit with everyone! I added sauteed mushrooms and some peas and 3 cloves of chopped fresh garlic. Otherwise, followed original recipe. Loved the softened butter in this and sour cream. Made it nice and rich.
Yum! Thanks for sharing what you did. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
All of my kids loved this!
I made this with the left over turkey from Thanksgiving and my family loved it. My husband not only had seconds but thirds! My picky toddler ate it too! It’s delicious and creamy, perfect way to use that left over turkey.
Kind of bland. Added mushrooms and peas but it still needs something to give flavor. Needs a herb or something.
This dish was terrific! I wish I’d started with a large mixing bowl, since mixing everything in a medium bowl was challenging, but it all came together and made a delicious dinner. Served it with broccoli & it was a fantastic leftover meal. Thanks so much!!
You’re welcome!! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!