Leftovers from Thanksgiving are like a present that keeps on giving. Though we’ve devised many inventive ways to use your leftover turkey, this traditional casserole is our favorite. One of our all-time favorites is Turkey Tetrazzini.
Easy to prepare and adaptable to your available ingredients, this baked spaghetti dish is an ideal post-holiday meal and a fantastic weeknight main dish that one can prepare any time of year.
Turkey Tetrazzini: What Is It?
Turkey tetrazzini is an incredibly comfortable baked spaghetti casserole with cheese, mushrooms, and turkey. It’s a baked pasta dish with a creamy, cheesy white wine sauce. The main ingredients are cooked spaghetti, bacon, turkey, green peas, black olives, and bacon. Panko breadcrumbs are then sprinkled over the mixture.
Like other casseroles, this tetrazzini can be customized by adding vegetables or changing the protein. We prefer to make this dish after Thanksgiving to use our leftover turkey, but you can substitute any protein. Use any leftover traditional roast turkey, or try new flavors like tandoori turkey from the air fryer, apple cider-bined turkey, or turkey breast spiced with harissa.
The Distinction between Spaghetti and Tetrazzini
Tetrazzini is a particular sort of baked dish that frequently uses spaghetti, whereas spaghetti is a type of pasta. That being said, baked spaghetti is the slightly creamier and somewhat cheesier form of tetrazzini if you’re wondering what the difference is between chicken tetrazzini and chicken spaghetti. Ultimately, the recipes are rather similar.
More on Ingredients
Several recipes for turkey tetrazzini use canned mushroom soup, but this is not one of them. Making your sauce is easy and quick, and it will taste much better!
- Spaghetti noodles
- Butter without salt
- Garlic with onions
- All-purpose flour
- Broth or chicken stock
- Heavy cream
- Turkey shreds left over
- Frozen peas
- Add pepper and salt.
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Grated parmigiano reggiano
- Fresh mushrooms
- Chopped parsley to use as a garnish
How to Prepare Turkey Tetrazzini?
A few steps are involved in the Turkey Tetrazzini recipe, so it’s pretty easy.
- Just till tender, cook your pasta, and then thoroughly drain it.
- Add some freshly sliced mushrooms at this point if desired, and sauté some onions and garlic in butter.
- Stir in heavy cream, chicken stock, and flour to make the quick cream sauce. Combine everything with the turkey and transfer it to a baking dish. After combining the spaghetti noodles and sauce, pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese shreds. Blend your garnish and apply it on top.
- Season everything carefully. We usually add a little extra salt and a lot of freshly ground black pepper to our dish after we’ve seasoned and baked each component since this enhances the taste.
- Cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes; take off the foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take it out of the oven and, if you like, top it with freshly ground black pepper before serving.
What Goes Well with Turkey Tetrazzini?
This baked pasta dish, with roasted turkey breast, creamy sauce, and optional peas and mushrooms, is already a meal. Serve it with whatever you would usually enjoy with creamy pasta.
You’ll already have the oven on, so this is a fantastic opportunity to try something new—stuffed garlic bread. If you’re watching your carbs, try this keto salad with grilled romaine or this wedge salad with blue cheese.
Can It be Frozen?
It can be frozen without any issues. To achieve the best results, wrap it tightly and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
Conclusion
Do you have preperation for everything you need for your feast of turkey tetrazzini? Your leftover turkey will impress you, no matter which dish you choose. Depending on your taste and preferred aroma, every recipe promises a delicious supper. You should test all four choices and determine which is best for your household.