If you are looking for recipes to use up all the holiday turkey, this Turkey Tetrazzini recipe is a good place to begin.
Even though we always have a huge crowd for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, there is always an abundance of leftover turkey. We usually save some for sandwiches later, but this year I decided to try something different. Our entire family loves pasta, so this is the perfect way to incorporate pasta and a creamy parmesan sauce into a meal.
HOW TO PREPARE TURKEY TETRAZZINI
Roll up your sleeves and let’s get started with this delicious meal!
Cook the pasta according to package directions. You can use any type of pasta you prefer – linguini, fettucini, spaghetti. I’ve tried them all and they are all delicious. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse the pasta. You want the sauce to adhere to the pasta when combined.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions or shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions begin to soften but not burn. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Follow this with the minced garlic and cook for one minute. Remove the onion/mushroom mixture from the pan and set aside.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add 4 tablespoons of butter to the same saute pan. Once melted, add the flour, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw taste is cooked out of the flour. Slowly, pour in the chicken stock, milk, and heavy cream. Whisk until the flour absorbs the liquid and thickens. It will not be very thick at this point. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Remove from the heat.
Add the pasta, turkey, and frozen peas to the sauce. Combine thoroughly and pour into a 9×13 buttered baking dish.
To make the breadcrumbs, melt the 2 remaining tablespoons of butter in a small saute pan. Add the breadcrumbs and toss until they are thoroughly coated. Spoon the breadcrumbs evenly over the Turkey Tetrazzini. Add additional parmesan cheese to the top, if desired.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and the breadcrumbs have toasted.
Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 4 cups turkey, shredded or chopped
- 8 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, or your favorite mushroom sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 12 oz pasta, cooked according to package directions linguini, fettucini, or spaghetti
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse. Set aside
- In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes until they begin to get tender but not browned.
- Add the mushrooms to the saute pan and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly, whisk in the cream, milk, and chicken stock. Continue cooking until the sauce is bubbling and thickened.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese until well combined. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the turkey, pasta, and frozen peas to the sauce. Mix well. Pour into a buttered 9x13 baking dish.
- In a small saute pan, melt the remaining butter. Add the breadcrumbs and toss until they are thoroughly coated in the butter. Spoon evenly over the Turkey Tetrazzini.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and browned.
Nutrition
Another way to use leftovers and feed a crowd is with this Chicken Spaghetti. You can prepare it the night before and bake when needed.
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