Spare Spoons Kitchen
Aunt Betty’s Comfort Kitchen · Turkey

Turkey Tetrazzini

The classic way to use up leftover turkey — diced meat and noodles bound in a creamy, cheesy sauce with celery, pepper, and onion, baked until bubbly and browned. Works just as well with chicken.

20 min prep 30 min bake
Effort ●●○○ Time ●●○○ Some Doing
Servingsamounts scale to match
6
Units

Ingredients

Sauté the vegetables, fold everything together, and bake until bubbly. The cream-of-chicken soup and cheese make the sauce — no roux needed. Soften the celery, pepper, and onion first so they're tender in the finished casserole, then top with Parmesan or crumbs for a browned crust.

Easier, if you like

  • Pre-shredded cheese and a bag of frozen diced vegetables cut the prep.
  • Rotisserie chicken is the fastest path to the 2 cups of cooked meat.

Method

    Cook's notes

    A leftover-turkey classic — it's also the reason to roast a little extra. Fresh boiled or broiled diced chicken works just as well.

    About that green pepper: Betty's card reads 2½ cups, which would overwhelm the dish — I've taken it as ¼ cup (finely chopped). Use more if you love it.

    Toasted slivered almonds in place of the mushrooms add a nice crunch (the original offers either).

    Make-ahead and freezer-friendly — assemble, refrigerate, and add a few minutes to the bake.

    Easy to make gluten-free

    Gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta, a gluten-free condensed soup, and gluten-free crumbs (or just Parmesan) on top.

    Lighter: use milk instead of the soup-and-broth for part of the sauce, and a reduced-fat soup.