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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.
I was really hoping to love this, but it was too bland for my family. I did add peas, diced onion and sliced mushrooms, but what it really needed was more seasoning. It’s a good base though. I think next time I might add a little more pepper, some onion powder, maybe a little garlic powder, some parsley and not sure what else, but that’s a good place to start for me!
I thought maybe the next day it would’ve improved as some recipes do, but this did not. It was still just too bland.
What a hit! I am making this recipe for the third time but this was my first time making it using my leftover Christmas turkey. Just a cheesy pleasy in every bite 🙂
This was absolutely scrumptious! I used all turkey breast and also added some sautéed fresh mushrooms, 1/2 medium onion, diced with about four cloves of fresh garlic, diced. Once these all browned or caramelized I deglazed with a dry white wine. When this mixture was cool I added it to the bowl with everything done what is what is what is plastic else. My fiancé went back for seconds and he generally shies away from anything with “yard bird” (turkey or chicken) in it 😆.
I will most definitely make this again and it’s going into my regular seasonal meal rotation!!!
I just made this and it came out amazing. I didnt have breadcrumbs but it was still so delicious!!
I’d like to make this, it sounds delicious. I always check nutritional info, and wish with my heart this was accurate. 8 servings at 240 calories each? The pasta and cheese alone exceed that. Any chance you could recalculate for us? Thanks
We’ll look into it! Thanks.
So so glad to hear that!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Followed the recipe exactly mine came out to watery had to soak up some of the liquid why so watery?
I’m not sure why it turned out so watery…. you could try using less chicken broth? 1 cup of broth has been the perfect amount when we’ve tested the recipe, but you could try reducing it. I’d say to make sure the noodles are strained well before adding to the soup mixture.
I hand selected all the pieces of meat that were the juiciest from my turkey and then I made sure that I mixed everything well and put the butter on top so that the pasta would go ahead and melt it all down. Of course I use my turkey stock and, other substitutions were mild like using one can of herb chicken cream soup, plus cream of celery soup.
This turned out so excellent, it’s rare that all five family members absolutely love anything!
This is a forever keeper!
So glad to hear that!! Thank you for sharing and for giving the recipe a try!
I made it again tonight with the leftover dark meat and had to cut the recipe in half because I had fewer ingredients. I substituted rotelle pasta and the kids love that even more. This is a keeper recipe for sure, and you can adapt it so easily to taste.
Do we bake this covered or uncovered for 40 minutes? Thanks!
I usually bake uncovered. You could also bake covered and then uncover the last few minutes to golden up those bread crumbs.
This was so yummy! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I was needing ideas on what to do with leftover turkey and this was perfect! Will definitely make again.
Should the butter be soft or melted? If it’s just soft won’t it be difficult to mix in?
Hi Lynn. I did find the butter a small bump, even though it was at room temp, could have been softer. So I ended up just stirring it longer. It turned out just fine. I’d probably make sure to let the butter get a bit more softer next time.
This was flavorful, delicious and easy to put together. My family loved it. This recipe a keeper. Thank you.
If it is soft enough (but not melted), it mixes great with the rest of the condensed soups + sour cream!
First time making this recipe and it is definitely the most delicious turkey tetrazzini. I added onions, celery, and equal portions of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. I also used 1 can of cream of celery and 1 can of cream of chicken with herbs. Make it to your own taste! Thanks for sharing it!
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing what you did. Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!