I may be a few days late with this post. Especially since everyone should have discarded all the leftover turkey by now. But, I’m posting it anyway because, well, it’s really good and I’m thinking perhaps a few of you may have frozen some turkey for later? Besides you can always substitute leftover chicken.
But before I start the recipe, I want to share a photo with you. This is a very special, very rare photograph of five generations in the same place at the same time. And it was taken on my back deck on Thanksgiving afternoon. I almost can’t find the words to tell you what it’s like to have your grandmother, mother, daughter and two granchildren all at the Thanksgiving table with you. The uniqueness of having family ranging in age from 4 to 95 all present and all enjoying each other is pretty incredible. I just don’t believe there are many families that have this many living generations. Over the years, we’ve been together lots and lots of times but somehow no one ever remembers to take a picture. And I meant, by golly, that this occasion was not going to slip by without getting a shot of us. I appreciate my Mama so very much for driving all the way here so that she and Polly could spend Thanksgiving day with us. It was so much fun! And I’ve almost recovered from all the cooking now :-)
Use the leftover turkey in this classic Turkey Tetrazzini Click To Tweet
So, on with the recipe. This Turkey Tetrazzini is my standard after-Thanksgiving, use-up-the-turkey casserole. Its ingredients are so different from the flavors on the Thanksgiving menu and that makes it quite welcome. I serve this with garlic bread and a fresh mixed salad with a classic vinaigrette dressing.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Set aside.
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.
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.
Remove from the heat and add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in half the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, pimiento, turkey, spaghetti and parsley.
Or stir in the parsley after you’ve mixed everything together if you’ve almost forgotten it, like me :-)
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.
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Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Other tetrazzini recipes you might enjoy:
- Martha Stewart’s Chicken Tetrazzini
- Turkey Tetrazzini from Simply Recipes
- Chicken Tetrazzini from Genius of a Cook
- For the Love of Cooking’s Chicken Tetrazzini
Wenderly says
atWow! What a beautiful family! And FIVE generations?…that’s impressive! We would brag about 4 generations until we lost grandmother at 93 1/2 a few months ago! You come from a dandy stock lovely lady!
Lana says
atThank you, Wendy. We are so very fortunate to have each other!
Happier Than A Pig in Mud says
atWhat a great photo, I’m so happy for you, I know you’ll treasure it! Your turkey tet looks mighty good too:@)
Lana says
atThanks! It’s a pretty tasty recipe.
Susan Mallery says
atI adore the picture of your multigenerational family. What a wonderful tribute to them! Our turkey is gone, but I’ll remember your recipe for next time. It sounds delicious and homey.
Teri says
atBeautiful picture, beautiful family. 5 generations is really something. You must have had a terrific holiday!
Your recipe looks delish as always ;)
Lana says
atIt was a fine day, Teri. Wouldn’t take anything for having family all together.
Miss P says
atThose are my Peeps!
Miss P
Lana says
atSho’ nuf.
Drick says
atnow Lana, that is something to be proud of, having all in one place, and what a beautiful picture… nothing better than family photos and nothing better that being able to spend time with the ones you love… hey, this recipe is out of sight, Momma taught me to do a chicken version many years ago and is it very similar…. reminds me to git out my cookbook and start cooking family favorites…
Nutmeg Nanny says
atI love turkey tetrazzini. I haven’t had it in a very long time. Yours looks great!
Alicia says
atLana, I love the picture of your family — how amazing! What a great way to use up turkey! I love casseroles!
Barbara @moderncomfortfood says
atWhat a joy to have five (count ’em five) generations together for Thanksgiving dinner, and how I envy you for that. And what a joy your turkey tetrazzini recipe is too! For some reason, I ALWAY associate this dish with the southern part of the US and find myself wondering how and why it became such a dinnertime favorite here. My version, which I make often, is similar to yours except for your superb idea of including cream cheese. That is such a good idea and one I plan to adopt pronto.
Lana says
atI agree, Barbara, that tetrazzini is a decidedly southern casserole but have no idea why that is so. Unless it started with homemade noodles or thin dumplings at the beginning and gradually evolved to the more easily prepared dried pasta. Just a guess.
Nisrine | Dinners & Dreams says
atWhat a wonderful casserole. I am loving this dish.
Debbie says
atBeautiful family! I’m glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I enjoy all your recipes.
Pam says
atThis is the sweetest story of all time. I got a little weepy at the picture of your family together on Thanksgiving. I’m absolutely going to try the recipes. Thank you for sharing your story.
Liz says
atA beautiful family and a beautiful recipe. Thanks so much.
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
atYou are so lucky Lana, my mom died before I ever had kids and my grandmother shortly after my first daughter was born. My kids simply never had the childhood I did of family gatherings with generations present. How special!
Turkey Tetrazzini is a given for us after the holidays but I do dress it up a bit. There is BACON! :)
Lana Stuart says
atWe are lucky, Barb. Very. My grandmother is now 100 and still going strong.