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This creamy Turkey Tetrazzini is the coziest way to give leftover turkey a second life! Tender spaghetti, mushrooms, and peas are tossed in a silky white wine sauce made extra rich with garlic and herb cream cheese, then baked under a crunchy Parmesan panko topping until golden and bubbly.
I don’t know about you, but after every holiday I’m left with a mountain of turkey and a crowd that’s already tired of sandwiches. That’s when this easy turkey tetrazzini recipe comes out. Classic tetrazzini is a cream-sauced spaghetti bake, but my secret is a tub of whipped garlic-and-herb cream cheese. It melts right into the sauce and does the work of three or four seasonings at once, so you get big flavor with zero fuss!
The other trick? Kinder’s Parmesan herb panko on top. It bakes up golden and crunchy, the perfect contrast to all that creamy pasta underneath. This turkey tetrazzini casserole feeds 8, comes together in one skillet plus a pasta pot, and is just as welcome at a weeknight supper as it is at a potluck.
If you love a hearty bake, you’ll also want to try my French Onion Ground Beef and Rice Casserole and Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole, or browse my favorite Casseroles for Potlucks. Roasting a bird from scratch first? My Turkey Rub Recipe makes those leftovers taste even better.
You Will Love This Recipe for Turkey Tetrazzini
❥ Big flavor from one shortcut. Garlic and herb cream cheese seasons and thickens the sauce at the same time. It’s rich and savory without measuring out a pantry full of herbs.
❥ No canned soup. The creamy sauce starts with butter, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. It tastes homemade because it is.
❥ Leftover turkey’s best friend. Three cups of cooked turkey disappear into a dish nobody will recognize as leftovers. Rotisserie chicken works just as well the rest of the year.
❥ Feeds a crowd. This turkey tetrazzini casserole serves 8 and is ready in about an hour. It’s perfect for potlucks, busy weeknights, and the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Nikki’s Top Tips Before You Start
- Cook the spaghetti just to al dente. The pasta keeps cooking in the oven as it soaks up the sauce. If it starts out soft, it’ll turn mushy by the time the casserole comes out bubbly.
- Use an oven-safe 12-inch skillet. You’ll build the whole sauce in it, and you can bake the casserole right in the same pan. That means fewer dishes, and nobody complains about that!
- Let the sauce boil a full minute after it thickens. The flour needs that minute to cook out its raw taste and reach full thickening power. Then turn the heat down before adding the cream cheese so it melts smooth instead of breaking.
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Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe Ingredients
- Spaghetti: Classic for tetrazzini. Thin spaghetti or linguine work too.
- Butter: Used to sauté the vegetables and build the roux, plus a little more for the panko topping.
- Yellow onion and garlic: The savory base of the sauce.
- Sliced mushrooms: Buy them pre-sliced to save time. White button or baby bella both work.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the sauce.
- White wine: A dry wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc adds brightness and helps lift the browned bits from the pan.
- Chicken or turkey broth: Use homemade turkey broth if you have it from the holiday bird.
- Heavy cream: Makes the sauce rich and silky.
- Whipped garlic and herb cream cheese: I use Philadelphia brand. It melts quickly and seasons the whole dish.
- Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper: Season to taste once the cream cheese melts in.
- Fresh parsley: Stirred into the sauce and sprinkled on top for color.
- Cooked turkey: Leftover roast turkey, cut into bite-size pieces. White and dark meat both work.
- Frozen peas: No need to thaw. They warm through in the oven.
- Mozzarella: Shred it fresh from a block for the best melt. Half goes in the pasta and half on top.
- Kinder’s Parmesan herb panko: Seasoned panko with Parmesan and garlic for the crunchy topping.
How To Make Turkey Tetrazzini
✱ Below shows step-by-step photos and instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.
Step 1 | Prep
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the spaghetti al dente according to the package directions and drain.
Step 2 | Sauté the Vegetables
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion 1 to 2 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then the mushrooms for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute.
Step 3 | Deglaze
Pour in the white wine, scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook 1 minute.
Step 4 | Make the Sauce
Stir in the broth and cream. Cook until thick and bubbly, then boil 1 minute. Lower to medium-low and stir in the cream cheese until melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley.
Step 5 | Combine
Return the spaghetti to its pot. Add the sauce, turkey, peas, and 1 cup mozzarella, and toss. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan or back into the skillet.
Step 6 | Assemble and Bake
Mix the melted butter with the panko. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the casserole, then the panko. Bake uncovered 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Rest 5 to 10 minutes, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole Variations
- Swap the cream cheese. An 8-ounce spreadable garlic and herb cream cheese, a 5-ounce Boursin, or a 6.5-ounce Alouette all work. If yours is smaller, make up the difference with a splash of heavy cream.
- Skip the wine. Use an extra ½ cup of broth plus a teaspoon of lemon juice for a little brightness.
- Use chicken instead. Rotisserie chicken turns this into chicken tetrazzini any time of year.
- Leave out the mushrooms or peas. Picky eaters? Skip either one. The dish is still plenty creamy and delicious.
- Change the topping. No Kinder’s panko? Mix 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan into plain seasoned panko, or use Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Add more veggies. Chopped broccoli, sautéed spinach, or roasted red peppers stir right in with the turkey.
- Try a different pasta. Egg noodles, penne, or rotini all hold the sauce well.
Gluten-Free Turkey Tetrazzini
This turkey tetrazzini is easy to make gluten-free with three swaps. Use a gluten-free spaghetti and cook it a minute or two short of the package time, since GF pasta softens faster in the oven.
Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Top with gluten-free panko or crushed gluten-free crackers mixed with Parmesan. Always check that your broth and cream cheese are labeled gluten-free, too!
Recipe Tips
- Salt your pasta water well. The spaghetti is the bulk of this dish, so seasoning it from the inside out matters. Aim for water that tastes like the sea.
- Taste before you add salt. Broth and cream cheese both bring sodium. Start with ½ teaspoon, taste, then add more if it needs it.
- Brown the top under the broiler. If the panko isn’t as golden as you’d like, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end. Watch it closely, because panko goes from golden to burnt fast.
What to Serve with Turkey Tetrazzini
This rich, creamy Turkey Tetrazzini casserole is great with something fresh and crisp. A tangy salad is my go-to, and my Copycat Carrabba’s Creamy Parmesan House Salad or Columbia Restaurant’s 1905 Salad cut right through all that cheesy goodness.
For a simple green side, my Crock Pot Green Beans cook hands-off while the casserole bakes. If you’re feeding a bigger crowd, start with a cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup and add some Homemade Dinner Rolls on the side!
Storing Turkey Tetrazzini
Turkey tetrazzini reheats beautifully, which makes it a great make-ahead supper for busy weeks!
- Make Ahead: Assemble the casserole up to 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Add the panko just before baking so it stays crisp.
- Storage: Cover leftovers tightly or move them to an airtight container. They keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave with a splash of milk or broth to loosen the sauce. For a larger amount, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Freeze: Assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe 9×13 pan but hold off on the panko topping. Wrap tightly in plastic and foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the topping, and bake as directed, adding 10 to 15 minutes if it’s still cold in the center.
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe FAQs
Turkey tetrazzini is a baked pasta casserole made with spaghetti, cooked turkey, and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, topped with cheese and breadcrumbs. It’s a classic way to use up leftover holiday turkey.
Yes. Even though it sounds Italian, tetrazzini was created in the United States in the early 1900s. It was named after Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, who was a huge star in America at the time.
Spaghetti usually means pasta served with a tomato-based sauce on the stovetop. Tetrazzini uses spaghetti too, but tosses it in a creamy white sauce with meat and mushrooms, then bakes it as a casserole with a cheesy, crunchy top.
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Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 12 ounces sliced mushrooms
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 7.5 ounces whipped garlic and herb cream cheese - I use Philadelphia brand
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley - plus more for garnish
- 3 cups cooked turkey - cut into bite-size pieces
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 8 ounces mozzarella - freshly shredded (about 2 cups), divided
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
- ½ cup Kinder's Parmesan herb panko
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the spaghetti al dente according to the package directions. Drain.
- In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet, melt the 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook the onion for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the white wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the broth and cream. Cook until thick and bubbly, then let it boil for 1 minute. Turn to a medium low heat. Stir in the cream cheese and cook until it’s melted, about 3-4 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon parsley and stir until combined.
- Return the drained spaghetti to the pot you cooked it in (or use a large bowl). Add the sauce, turkey, peas, and 1 cup of the mozzarella and toss to combine. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan, or back into the oven-safe skillet.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and panko until well coated. Top the casserole with the remaining mozzarella, then sprinkle with the panko.
- Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- Panko topping: If you can’t find Kinder’s Parmesan herb panko, add 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese to seasoned panko. Seasoned breadcrumbs also work.
- Cream cheese substitutions: Use an 8-ounce spreadable garlic and herb cream cheese, 5-ounce Boursin, or 6.5-ounce Alouette. A spreadable cheese melts more easily into the sauce. If yours is smaller, make up the difference with heavy cream.
- Mushrooms and peas: Leave out either one if you don’t care for them.
- No wine: Swap the wine for ½ cup more broth plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate, covered. Add the panko just before baking.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. To freeze, assemble without the panko, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then top and bake, adding 10 to 15 minutes if it’s still cold in the center.
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Nutrition
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
