Turn those Thanksgiving leftovers into one of the most delicious casseroles ever! Combine chopped roasted turkey and pasta with a creamy, cheesy mushroom sauce to create a hearty Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole your whole family will be excited about!
This Old Fashioned Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole is my standard after-Thanksgiving, use-up-the-turkey casserole. Its ingredients are quite different from the flavors on the Thanksgiving menu and that makes it very welcome.
If you’re wondering just what this Turkey Tetrazzini recipe is, it’s an old-fashioned baked pasta casserole. You can make tetrazzini with either turkey or chicken. It’s a perfect recipe for using up leftovers!
While the name may sound like it has Italian roots, the recipe actually doesn’t. It was created in America in the early 1900s. The name comes from a famous Italian soprano, Luisa Tetrazzini.
As with many food origin stories, the exact birthplace of Turkey Tetrazzini is debatable. This one has stories based on both the east and the west coast.
Some say it originated at the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City, while others claim that it came from the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Which is correct? We’ll probably never know. The only thing that is certain is that it’s one incredibly delicious recipe.
— This post was originally published on December 1, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven/Stovetop
Total Time: 1 Hour
Servings: 8
Primary Ingredient(s): Spaghetti, mushrooms, cream cheese, Parmesan, cooked turkey (or chicken)
Skill Level: Easy
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I think I have tried every Turkey Tetrazzini recipe there is, and then I came across this one! I about fell over with how it all went together, and how easy it was, but wait…AND how delicious!! Had some friends over and they all loved it! Thank you SO much.“
— Libby Moore
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It’s a really delicious way to use up leftover turkey.
- This is classic comfort food that will leave you feeling satisfied.
- It’s a kid-friendly pasta dish.
Equipment You’ll Need
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For this recipe, you’ll need a large pot for cooking the spaghetti, a large saute pan, and a 9×13 baking dish.
Ingredient Notes
Many tetrazzini recipes make use of canned condensed soup, and I have absolutely no problem with that. But instead of the standard cream of mushroom soup, I prefer making a creamy cheese sauce with sauteed fresh mushrooms for this recipe.
- Spaghetti — You can also use angel hair pasta, bow ties, penne, or any other pasta you have on hand. The whole wheat pastas are also good in this casserole.
- Fresh Mushrooms — Substitute well-drained canned mushrooms if you don’t have fresh.
- Chicken Broth — If you have homemade chicken broth or leftover turkey broth, it’s even better than canned.
- Cream Cheese — Having the cream cheese at room temperature will help it melt and blend easier.
- Parmesan Cheese — Use fresh grated, bagged shredded, or the finely grated boxed type. You don’t need expensive Parm for this recipe.
- Pimiento — The pimiento is optional, but really does add a lot of flavor and eye appeal.
- Cooked Turkey or Chicken — This recipe is great for using up turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving or roast chicken leftovers from Sunday dinner. You can also use the meat from a rotisserie chicken in this recipe.
- Italian Parsley — Dried parsley can be substituted.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook!
You can see this recipe on page 221 of my cookbook, My Southern Table! Get your signed copy today.
How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini
Preheat the Oven and Cook the Spaghetti
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Set aside.
Saute the Vegetables
- Coat a large pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add butter or margarine. When melted, add mushrooms, onions, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender.
Mix the Flour and Milk into the Vegetables
- Whisk together the flour and milk until smooth.
- Add the flour-milk mixture along with the chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the sautéed vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add Remaining Ingredients to Sauce
- Remove from the heat and add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, pimiento, turkey, spaghetti, and parsley.
Add to Dish and Bake
- Spoon the mixture into a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Recipe Variations to Try
- For a bit of spice, add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Some cooks add a cup of frozen green peas in the sauce.
- Vary the pasta and use whatever you have on hand. Angel hair pasta is great in this recipe.
- To make a crunchy topping, toss the remaining Parmesan cheese with a cup of Panko bread crumbs and about two tablespoons of olive oil.
- Make your casserole even richer by substituting half and half for the milk.
How to Serve
I serve this with garlic bread or my cheesy onion and herb bread and a fresh mixed salad with a classic vinaigrette dressing. You could also serve roasted leeks or oven roasted asparagus as a side dish.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Because of the cream sauce, I can’t recommend freezing. It’s very likely that the sauce would break, and the result wouldn’t be great.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave in one-minute increments, stirring in between, to avoid drying out or burning the pasta.
More Recipes You’ll Like
If you enjoyed this recipe, you’ll also want to explore these.
Baked Seafood Casserole
Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Chicken and Mushroom Casserole
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
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Old Fashioned Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 small onion minced
- 2 ribs celery minced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 14.5 ounces canned chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup diced pimiento
- 2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Set aside.8 ounces spaghetti
- Coat a large pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add butter or margarine. When melted, add mushrooms, onion and celery. Cook, stirring frequently until tender.Cooking spray, 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms, 1 small onion, 2 ribs celery
- Whisk together the flour and milk until smooth.½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups milk
- Add the flour-milk mixture along with the chicken broth, salt and pepper to the sautéed vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.14.5 ounces canned chicken broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Remove from the heat and add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, pimiento, turkey, spaghetti and parsley.1/4 cup Parmesan, cooked spaghetti3 ounces cream cheese, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ cup diced pimiento, 2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken, ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
- Spoon the mixture into a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.1/4 cup Parmesan
Notes
- Storing: Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Because of the cream sauce, I can’t recommend freezing. It’s very likely that the sauce would break and the result wouldn’t be great.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave in one-minute increments, stirring in between to avoid drying out or burning the pasta.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Actually really simple and very good.
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Connie!
Actually simple to make and very good.