This turkey tetrazzini recipe is a creamy baked pasta casserole with tender turkey, pasta, peas, and a homemade Parmesan sauce. It’s made from scratch with simple ingredients and no canned soup, then finished with a crispy Parmesan breadcrumb topping.
Use leftover turkey or freshly cooked turkey, and easily scale the full-size recipe to half or quarter size (for two). It’s an easy, delicious way to turn leftover turkey into a comforting family dinner.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 📌 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- 🦃 Turkey Tetrazzini Ingredients
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: Making Turkey Tetrazzini
- 🦃 Meat Options
- 🍝 Pasta, Vegetable, and Topping Options
- 📅 Make Ahead – Refrigerate or Freeze
- ↕️ Scaling Turkey Tetrazzini for Two or a Family
- ❄️ Storing Turkey Tetrazzini
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖 More Leftover Turkey Recipes
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by CG:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
" I really enjoyed this easy recipe. It is a great way to use up leftover items and very family friendly."
📌 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
What: Turkey tetrazzini is a creamy baked pasta casserole with turkey, peas, homemade sauce, and a breadcrumb topping.
Why: Made from scratch, perfect for leftover turkey, and easily scaled down for two.
How: Cook the pasta, make a roux-based sauce, combine with turkey and peas, top with Parmesan breadcrumbs, and bake until golden.
🦃 Turkey Tetrazzini Ingredients
- Turkey: Cooked turkey—breast or dark meat, cubed or shredded. Perfect for holiday leftovers. Other meats are discussed in the “Meat Options” section below.
- Pasta: Linguine is classic for tetrazzini, but spaghetti, egg noodles, or bow-ties all work. Cook al dente since the casserole bakes further.
- Vegetables: Onion, celery, garlic, and peas are the base. Mushrooms are optional but add flavor and texture.
- Sauce: Butter, flour, milk, broth, and Parmesan cheese for the roux-based sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Topping: A mix of Italian Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese gives the golden, crispy finish. Mozzarella is a common variation.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Making Turkey Tetrazzini
1. Prepare: Cook pasta al dente. Cube or shred the turkey and prep the vegetables.
2. Cook: Cook onion, celery, and optional mushrooms in butter. Add garlic and seasonings.
3. Make the sauce: Add flour, then whisk in broth, milk, and Parmesan until thickened.
4. Combine: Stir in pasta, turkey, and peas. Transfer to a prepared baking dish.
5. Top: Add Parmesan and Panko breadcrumbs.
6. Bake: Bake until bubbling and golden.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips and options.
🦃 Meat Options
- Chicken: Substitute cooked chicken, including rotisserie or baked chicken. No other recipe changes are needed.
- Ham: Cooked ham is an easy substitute for turkey.
🍝 Pasta, Vegetable, and Topping Options
- Pasta: Linguine is classic, but spaghetti, egg noodles, or bow-ties work well. Cook al dente since the pasta cooks more while baking.
- Vegetables: Peas are traditional. Mushrooms are optional; spinach, broccoli, green beans, or peppers also work.
- Topping: Parmesan and Panko breadcrumbs give a crispy topping. Regular breadcrumbs also work.
- Cheese: Add mozzarella on top for a cheesier casserole.
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📅 Make Ahead – Refrigerate or Freeze
- Assemble ahead: Prepare the casserole without baking or adding the topping. Cover tightly.
- Refrigerate: Store unbaked for up to 2 days. Add the topping just before baking.
- Freeze: Freeze unbaked for up to 3–4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then add the topping and bake.
↕️ Scaling Turkey Tetrazzini for Two or a Family
This full-size recipe scales easily for smaller meals.
- Full recipe: 12 standard or 8 large servings. Use a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Half recipe: 6 standard or 4 large servings. Use a 6×9 or 8×8 baking dish.
- Quarter recipe—for two: 3 standard or 2 large servings. Use a 6-inch round, 5×5, or similar small baking dish.
Scaling the ingredients: In the recipe card, change the number of servings to 3, 6, or 12. Use the adjusted ingredient amounts; the instructions do not automatically adjust.
Bake until the topping is lightly browned and the edges are bubbling. Smaller casseroles may cook faster, so check early.
❄️ Storing Turkey Tetrazzini
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze airtight for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven or microwave until hot.
❓ FAQs
The sauce is thickened with a traditional roux. Cook flour briefly in butter, then whisk in broth and milk until thickened. No canned soup or cream cheese is needed.
Turkey tetrazzini is an American baked pasta casserole made with cooked turkey and a creamy sauce. Most versions include mushrooms and Parmesan cheese and are baked until hot and bubbling.
📖 More Leftover Turkey Recipes
Looking for more ways to use Thanksgiving turkey? Try these reader favorites:
📖The Recipe Card
Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe (Easy Creamy Casserole)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups diced or shredded cooked turkey - (flexible—a little more is fine)
- 1 pound pasta - (spaghetti or linguine preferred)
- 1 small onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms - (optional)
- 4 cloves crushed or minced garlic
- ½ cup butter - (1 stick = ½ cup)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 14 oz chicken broth
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese - (shredded or grated)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup Italian Panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese - (shredded or grated)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
- Cook 1 pound of linguine or spaghetti to al dente according to the package instructions. Cube or shred about 3-4 cups of cooked turkey.
- Dice 1 small onion, crush 4 cloves of garlic, and dice 2 ribs of celery.
- Melt 1 stick of butter (½ cup) over medium heat and add onion, celery, and mushrooms. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the celery begins to soften. Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic. Cook one more minute. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Add ½ cup of flour by sprinkling it over the pan. Stir until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add 14 oz chicken or turkey broth while stirring continuously. Bring to a simmer. When it begins to thicken, slowly add 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Continue stirring and simmering until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and add four cups of cubed or shredded cooked turkey, one pound of cooked pasta, and one cup of frozen peas. Mix well and pour into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish coated with PAM or butter.
- Mix one cup of Italian Panko breadcrumbs with ½ cup of shredded or grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
This recipe moves quickly. Read through the instructions and have the ingredients prepared before starting. Use light or dark turkey meat, cubed or shredded. Cooked chicken or ham also works. Spaghetti or linguine are preferred, but other pasta may be used. Cook it only to al dente. The recipe scales easily to half or quarter size. See the post for pan sizes and instructions.Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Adapted from Turkey Tetrazzini on Allrecipes.com.
Publisher's Note: Originally published November 29, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Susan Hamilton says
Great basic recipe! A few tweaks here and there due to what I had on hand, and came out with a fabulous dish. I did add a bit of poultry seasoning. Yums! Thanks!
P.S. Your website is the reason I can grill stuff so that we have a yummy dinner in the spring, summer & fall! Thanks! I hope your whole family is doing well.
Sincerely, Susan
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Susan,
Sorry the delayed response, life happens fast some times.
I love a good noodle casserole with great topping. And I'm so glad you find the grilling tips useful.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Nancy Malburg says
Hi, my name is Nancy and I live in northern Illinois. I found your recipe on the internet, it just looked better than all the rest. It is very good!! I used left over boneless turkey and stir fried the onions celery, carrots, and broccoli prior to adding the milk and the chicken broth, I used lower salt broth. I also added mozzarella shredded cheese when adding the linguine. I did use the panko crumbs and the Parmesan cheese in the top. It was very good and I will make this again. I would like to try this recipe with shredded chicken. I also like that no canned or awfully salty canned sauce was used in this recipe. Thank you and I will try your other recipes in the future. Have a good new year.
Melissa says
I love this recipe and have made it a couple times. I was wondering if I can just use the meat I cooked off the bone. Just a variety of shredded light and dark. I think it will be fine, ousted wanted some input .
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Melissa,
Welcome to the blog.
Yes, any turkey or chicken meat will be fine. But I want to point out that leftovers over 4 days of age should be discarded.
Dan
Ed says
Thank you for the perfect “Turkey-day” leftover recipe!
I halved the recipe because there are only three of us and we all enjoyed it very much BUT found it to be on the dry side. I have two “vegetable adverse” eaters so I omitted the peas and mushrooms but followed everything else as written. I’m pretty good at following a recipe but still a novice in the kitchen so I’m not that great at “tweaking” them yet. I’m thinking the missing moisture from the veggies might be the reason it came out dry? Maybe?? What would you suggest to adjust the recipe so it won’t be dry next time? Just up the broth and/or milk? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again for the recipe... will definitely be making again!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Ed,
Welcome to the blog.
If it was too dry, another 1-2 oz of broth in the sauce will be fine. The real question is why? The veggies can release a bit of fluid but not that much. I suspect the turkey was a bit dryer and absorbed some liquid. Or the pasta... we will never know.
Thanks for the note, question, and the rating.
Dan
Ed says
So, yeah. Can I change my rating to 5 ⭐️‘s? Was my first turkey and now that you mention that it might have been ‘a bit dryer’ I’m pretty sure is was Cooker Error, lol.... I way over cooked that poor bird for fear of not cooking it enough! The ‘popping’ thingy in the turkey never did ‘Pop’ and it cooked waaaayyyyy longer then the times listed on the tag 🤦♂️ Cook and learn, lol.
Thanks again and Happy New Year!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Ed,
Rating fixed. I do have a turkey breast "how to" that gives excellent results. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/how-to-roast-a-turkey-breast-the-easy-way/ I don't have a full turkey recipe. Never trust those pop up timers.
Dan
Allen Arthurs says
All went Well until combining the liquid mixture with the turkey and spaghetti. I went to a large deep skillet, saw that it was not big enough so went a big chili pot. Made it early in the day so covered and refrigerated until supper time. Not sure how long to bake but will bake until bubbly and brown. May suggest to use a big pot to begin with to save having to wash so many dishes. Of course, I am a somewhat old and lazy man. Ask my wife. Lol
CG says
I really enjoyed this easy recipe. It is a great way to use up leftover items and very family friendly with the ingredient multiplier at the top that adjusts ingredient amounts automatically. Thanks for posting it !
Katherine Aust says
I made this recipe, but had to omit the mushrooms because my husband doesn't like them. I added a couple of tablespoons of dry sherry to the onion/celery/butter before stirring in the flour. Accidentally grabbed angel hair pasta and used shredded Swiss. The dish was fabulous and even better the next day. Thanks!
Dawn says
I am confused about the salt. You show a picture of kosher salt but don’t mention kosher salt in directions. Also, your pictures used to always show Morton’s kosher salt. This picture is a different brand and even when I enlarge the picture I can’t tell what it is. I have been reading lately that Morton’s and Diamond Crystal are the two major brands and they measure differently. What brand are you now using?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Dawn,
Welcome to the blog.
Sorry for any confusion. Here is a link to my discussion about salts. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/abbreviations-salts-and-oven-temperature/
--------------------------
This is from that page:
All recipes on this blog have nutritional estimates. With salt, if it says “salt”, it is table salt. If it say Kosher salt, it will be Diamond Kosher salt or the equivalent of Morton Kosher salt.
If the recipe says “to taste” for the amount of salt, it is my estimate of average usage.
1 teaspoon table salt = 1 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
If a recipe called for Kosher or coarse salt, it is using Diamond Crystal as a reference. I usually buy Diamond Crystal and adjust accordingly.
Also, things like sea salt etc. usually are in the Morton salt range.
BUT since salt is mostly to taste, use what you want.
____________________
So this recipe is 1 teaspoon salt (table salt) or the equivalent in what you have. 1 1/4 teaspoon of Mortan Kosher or 2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal.
I frequently use less salt for my taste. And since Diamond Crystal is the least "salt" of the salts, it is what I usually buy but I now have to get 3 pound boxes. A real bummer.
Dan
Trish says
I dont know if it's just me and not feeling well, but I didnt care for the recipe and I love every ingredient.
DrDan says
Hi Trish,
Welcome to the blog.
Sorry, it didn't work well for you.
Dan
Jeanne Tomlin says
How is a dish that serves twelve 'servings for two'? Talk about deceptive advertising.
DrDan says
See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/recipes-not-two-servings/
KJill says
Thank you for the timely reminder that milk, butter, flour and seasonings makes the perfect comfort food out of leftover meat, veg and starch. I didn't follow your recipe very closely other than the proportions for the 'gravy' and procedure - good basic technique is always a safe starting point. Leftover turkey, roast carrots, broccoli, brown rice, added finely chopped very mild chili to onion/garlic/celery, reduced the cheese to topping only. I always enjoy the dog pictures. Thanks
DrDan says
Hi KJill,
Welcome to the blog.
A recipe is just "guidelines" anyway (see https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/so-how-is-recipe-like-pirate-code/). It is always good to remind the readers that these things should be adjusted to your needs at the time.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Kari says
Hi Dr Dan
If I have shredded turkey How can i measure it to be cubes?
DrDan says
Hi Kari,
Welcome to the blog.
Use about the same volume with shredded or cubed. With casseroles, soups, stews, and chili, I view the amount of meat as a bit variable, a little more or a little less is fine.
Dan
Debbie says
Why is your website called Cooking for Two when I have yet to find a recipe for just two people??? I'm confused....
DrDan says
Hi Debbie,
You are not the first to ask so I have it discussed in this page. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/recipes-not-two-servings/ .
The recipes are generally for smaller households and most non-meat recipes will be for more than two with leftovers. Many are cut down for other massively big recipes.
Most of the meat recipes are for two or can be easily done with two servings and you will see that.
Also, the recipe card can adjust the quantities of ingredients to the number of servings you want. It does not adjust the instructions.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Jo says
Can you freeze the leftovers?
DrDan says
It should be good in a refrigerator for about 3 days and freezer for 2-3 months.
Dan
George says
Thanks for the great recipe.
It really made a large amount of food and we enjoyed the leftovers from this the rest of the week as well. The taste was fantastic!
Also fairly easy to make, even for a novice like me.
Ellise says
Best tettrazinni recipie I have made thus far!
Chris says
One of our holiday favorites! One of my relatives always served this at our family homecoming the Sunday after Thanksgiving each year and I loved it.