Creamy leftover turkey tetrazzini with spinach is a simple, easy and delicious recipe that is comforting, creamy and cheesy. Cooked turkey and spaghetti is tossed into a creamy spinach and mushroom sauce and then baked with mozzarella cheese on top until golden brown. This casserole pasta dinner is a family favourite, perfect for busy weeknights. Plus, to make things even easier, you can make this freezer friendly meal ahead of time.
This creamy turkey tetrazzini is a great way to use any leftover turkey after a holiday meal. But you can enjoy this all year round by easily making a batch of tender slow cooker turkey breast or juicy roasted turkey breast and shred it up for this soup.
Some other delicious ways to use leftover turkey are in creamy turkey orzo soup, leftover turkey wild rice soup, and leftover turkey fried rice.
Ingredients in Turkey Tetrazzini
- spaghetti - cooked in salted water with some olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- shredded cooked turkey - this is a great way to use any leftover turkey from a whole roast turkey, slow cooker turkey breast or juicy roasted turkey breast. You can also easily substitute the turkey with cooked chicken.
- creamy sauce - made with olive oil, white mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, all-purpose flour, chicken broth, lemon juice and heavy cream.
- fresh baby spinach
- mozzarella cheese - to add on top.
- fresh parsley - to garnish on top.
You will also need a shallow saucepan (or 4 qt. Dutch oven), 9x13 casserole pan, and aluminum foil.
How to Make the Best Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini with Spinach
- Make the spaghetti noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium high heat. Add spaghetti and olive oil. Cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm), about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool down. Set aside.
- Make the creamy sauce. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan for 2 minutes over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and flour. Stir well to combine, about 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice and whisk until the sauce is smooth and uniform. Whisk in heavy cream and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Let it simmer and stir occasionally until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. The sauce should be similar to in consistency to gravy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add spinach, spaghetti and turkey. Remove from heat and stir in spinach until wilted, about 1 minute. Add in cooked spaghetti and shredded turkey. Toss well until fully combined and coated.
- Assemble the tetrazzini. Transfer the mixture into a 9x13 casserole pan and evenly top with mozzarella cheese. Lightly grease a large piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan. Greasing the foil prevents the melted cheese from sticking to the foil while baking.
- Bake. Bake the tetrazzini covered in a 350F preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly. Optionally, turn on broiler on high and broil for 3-4 minutes to brown the cheesy crust and get it crispy.
- Serve. Let the tetrazzini rest for 10 minutes before serving. This is to ensure the cream sauce sets a bit and is not too runny.
Tips
- How to substitute the turkey: You can easily substitute the cooked turkey with cooked chicken. Follow the recipe the exact same using leftover whole roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- How to customize: You can customize this tetrazzini by adding other vegetables you may have on hand such as broccoli, or cauliflower.
- How to serve: I like to serve this turkey tetrazzini with some cheesy garlic dinner rolls or rosemary garlic focaccia bread and a big salad on the side.
Storing, Freezing and Make Ahead Instructions
- How to store tetrazzini before baking: Store assembled uncooked turkey tetrazzini (up to the point of baking) in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered in aluminum foil.
- How to store tetrazzini after baking: Store turkey tetrazzini in the pan, sealed with aluminum foil, or transfer to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat in the air fryer uncovered at 350 F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for a few minutes.
- How to freeze tetrazzini before or after baking: Store turkey tetrazzini (either uncooked or cooked) in the freezer for up to 3 months, covered in foil. I would recommend using a disposable 9x13 aluminum pan for assembling the tetrazzini in if you are planning to freeze it.
- How to reheat frozen tetrazzini: To reheat frozen uncooked lasagna, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bake according to recipe instructions.
- To reheat frozen cooked tetrazzini, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator or kitchen counter. Then cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat in the air fryer uncovered at 350 F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for a few minutes.
More Comfort Food Recipes
- Creamy White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
- Cheesy Tortellini and Sausage Bake
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Easy Chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana)
- Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken
- Easy Meat Lasagna
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok, and Facebook for more recipe updates.
Recipe
Turkey Tetrazzini with Spinach
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings
Description
Creamy leftover turkey tetrazzini with spinach is a simple, easy and delicious pasta recipe that is comforting, creamy and cheesy. It's a family favourite.
Ingredients
- 1 (500 gram) package dry spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 lb. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 + ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly-squeezed
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (about 2 ounces)
- 1 lb. shredded cooked turkey (about 3 cups)
- 1 + ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium high heat. Add spaghetti and one tablespoon olive oil. Cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm), about 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool down. Set aside in the pot.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan for 2 minutes over medium high heat, until the hot oil sizzles. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in onion and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and flour. Stir well to combine, about 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice and whisk until the sauce is smooth and uniform. The sauce might be a little bit clumpy in the beginning.
- Whisk in heavy cream and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Let it simmer and stir occasionally until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. The sauce should be similar to in consistency to gravy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in spinach until wilted, about 1 minute.
- Add in cooked spaghetti and shredded turkey. Toss well until fully combined and coated.
- Transfer the mixture into a 9x13 casserole pan and evenly top with mozzarella cheese.
- Lightly grease a large piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan. Greasing the foil prevents the melted cheese from sticking to the foil while baking.
- Bake the tetrazzini covered for 25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly. Optionally, turn on broiler on high and broil for 3-4 minutes to brown the cheesy crust and get it crispy.
- Let the tetrazzini rest for 10 minutes before serving. This is to ensure the cream sauce sets a bit and is not too runny.
Notes
Turkey: This is a great way to use leftover turkey from a whole roast turkey, slow cooker turkey breast or juicy roasted turkey breast. You can also easily substitute the cooked turkey with cooked chicken. Follow the recipe the exact same using leftover roast chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
How to store before baking: Store assembled uncooked turkey tetrazzini (up to the point of baking) in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered in aluminum foil.
How to store after baking: Store turkey tetrazzini in the pan, sealed with aluminum foil, or transfer to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat in the air fryer uncovered at 350 F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for a few minutes.
How to freeze before or after baking: Store turkey tetrazzini (either uncooked or cooked) in the freezer for up to 3 months, covered in foil. I would recommend using a disposable 9x13 aluminum pan for assembling the tetrazzini in if you are planning to freeze it.
How to reheat frozen tetrazzini: To reheat frozen uncooked lasagna, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, bake according to recipe instructions.
- To reheat frozen cooked tetrazzini, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator or kitchen counter. Then cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat in the air fryer uncovered at 350 F for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for a few minutes.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Jane says
This was wonderful! I made it with Ripple pea milk and vegan mozzarella and added a little vegan parmesan to the sauce. I didn't use any onion. So good!
Gayle says
I was looking for a way to use leftover chicken and I stumbled on your recipe. Since it is just my husband and I, I divided it into two. I baked one and froze the other. This was an easy recipe with lots of flavor. We both loved it.
John says
I found you as I was looking for something new to do with leftover roasted chicken and, other than that, made it as posted, Everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing this, it's going into my 'Favorites' folder!
Stephanie says
Made this last weekend. Subbed broccoli for spinach because it was on hand. Very tasty and a repeat for sure! Happened upon your site last week and bookmarked, as I plan to try several other recipes too.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Stephanie! So happy you liked the recipe!
wilhelmina says
This is a great easy meal! I love how creamy and comforting it is and it comes together so easily. My family wants it added to menu rotation on the regular!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much! It really is so easy to make!
Denay DeGuzman says
I made this delicious meal for my parents to enjoy. I dropped it off at their doorstep. Your turkey tetrazzini got rave reviews! I'll be adding this easy dish to the monthly meal plan.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you SO much Denay! That makes me so happy to hear!