Description
This Turkey Tetrazzini is a creamy, comforting casserole featuring tender spaghetti, mushrooms, peas, bacon, and shredded turkey all baked in a rich cheese sauce topped with golden panko breadcrumbs. Perfect for using up leftover turkey, this classic dish combines savory flavors with a satisfying crunchy topping for a hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 1/2 lb. thin spaghetti, broken in half
Sauce and Mix-ins
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. white mushrooms, quartered
- 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup flour
- 4 cups turkey (or chicken) broth, plus more for thinning
- 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
- 3 cups cooked turkey, shredded or diced
- 1 cup finely chopped black olives
- 1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
- 4 slices bacon, fried and cut into bits
- 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Topping
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil the spaghetti until it is just shy of al dente following package instructions. Drain well, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set aside as it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Sauté mushrooms and garlic: In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the quartered mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt, cooking for a few more minutes until mushrooms soften.
- Deglaze and reduce: Pour in the white wine and allow it to cook down with the mushrooms until the liquid reduces by half, intensifying the flavors.
- Make the roux and thicken: Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir continuously for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Gradually pour in the turkey broth while stirring, letting the mixture cook for several minutes until it thickens into a roux-based sauce.
- Add cream cheese and combine ingredients: Lower heat to medium-low and add cream cheese in pieces. Stir until melted, even if some small bits remain—they will melt eventually. Then add the shredded turkey, chopped olives, frozen peas, bacon bits, monterey jack, and parmesan cheeses. Stir well, seasoning with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
- Incorporate the pasta: Add the cooked spaghetti to the pot and stir to combine. Add a splash of broth if the mixture seems dry; the sauce should be slightly loose to avoid drying out during baking. If needed, add up to 2 more cups of broth to maintain moisture.
- Bake the casserole: Transfer the entire mixture into a large baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs over the top. Bake in a 350°F oven until the casserole is bubbly and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Notes
- Use turkey or chicken broth, depending on availability or preference.
- The pasta is intentionally undercooked before baking to prevent overcooking in the casserole.
- Add extra broth cautiously to maintain a creamy texture but avoid a soupy casserole.
- Leftover turkey works perfectly for this recipe and can be substituted with cooked chicken as well.
- For extra crunch, you can toss the panko breadcrumbs with a bit of melted butter before sprinkling on top.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of recipe)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
