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Home / Recipes / Dinner / One Pot / 30 Minute Stovetop Turkey Tetrazzini

30 Minute Stovetop Turkey Tetrazzini

30 minutes mins
| 64 Comments |
4.69 from 44 votes
Jump to Recipe 11/26/20 | Updated: 11/26/20 | by Nora
Turkey Tetrazzini Pin 1

Relax your dinner prep with this easy 30 Minute Stovetop Turkey Tetrazzini recipe. It’s quick to make (just one pot!) and is sure to become a new family favorite – plus it makes great use of Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers.

overhead view of turkey tetrazzini in skillet

I have to admit, I used to love standing in the kitchen for hours. But these days I’m memorizing every quick and easy one dish recipe I can get my hands on – and especially so after a holiday cooking marathon!

This pasta dish is a great way to use up your turkey leftovers without having to do too much work after all that work for your big holiday dinner. It’s quick and easy to prep with just a few ingredients – and only one pot to wash!

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for turkey tetrazzini with text labels
Ingredients for turkey tetrazzini: Cooked turkey, onion, mushrooms, butter, oil, sour cream, parmesan, milk, chicken broth and spaghetti.

Ingredient notes

  • Cooked turkey: If you don’t have any leftover turkey, feel free to poach about 1 – 1.5 pounds of fresh turkey and use that in the recipe. You can also use rotisserie chicken, or poach some chicken breasts if you want to cook it from scratch.
  • Milk: Feel free to use half and half or evaporated milk in place of the regular milk. I do not recommend using all heavy cream in place of the milk, as it makes the dish very, very rich. But you may very well use half cream, half milk.
  • Dairy: I usually make this with low fat milk and sour cream (those post-holiday food choices, am I right?!). But feel free to use regular.
  • Mushrooms: I used white button mushrooms, but feel free to use brown ones or any other mushrooms you like.
  • Spaghetti: Regular, whole wheat or high fibre are all good choices for this recipe! Using a long, thin pasta shape is classic in this dish. However, you can also make this with a short shape like spirals or bowties (I do this a lot, because it’s much easier than episode of toddler vs spaghetti).
  • Seasoning: Feel free to use dried parsley, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper to season your dish. I used homemade chicken stock and leftover roasted turkey, so there was plenty of seasoning and flavor going on. If you use low sodium chicken broth, you may need salt and pepper, plus the herbs I mentioned to give the dish more flavor.

How to make Turkey Tetrazzini

You start by sautéing the onion and mushrooms in a little oil (plus seasoning, if using) (1). Cook them until they are very soft and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 5 minutes (2).

collage pf photos to show how to sauté onions and mushrooms

Next, pour in the chicken stock (3) and milk (4). Stir well, then bring to a boil (5).

collage of photos to show how to make the sauce for turkey tetrazzini

Now add the dry spaghetti (6) and simmer them until al-dente (7).

collage oh photos to show first uncooked, then cooked spaghetti in a dish of turkey tetrazzini

Finally, stir in the turkey and heat through (8). Then take off the heat and add the cheeses (9).

collage of photos to show how to assemble a dish of turkey tetrazzini

Stir well (10), then serve straight away!

scoop of turkey tetrazzini with kitchen tongs

Recipe tips

  • Cook the mushrooms and onions long enough, to make sure they are fully soft and the liquid coming from the mushrooms has evaporated again. This is how the dish gets the best taste, and doesn’t turn out soupy.
  • Please do not pre-cook the pasta! It really goes in dry. If you pre-cook your spaghetti, you will make Tetrazzini soup.
  • Once the Tetrazzini are cooked, I recommend serving them right away. The longer the pasta sits, the more of the sauce it soaks up – it can make the dish feel a little dry if it rests on the counter for more than 5 minutes once it’s ready.

Serving suggestions

We enjoy this with a big salad on the side. If you’re not into salads, a side of roasted broccoli, sautéed green beans or sautéed zucchini is also nice!

close up photo of turkey tetrazzini in white bowl

More leftover turkey recipes

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PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card
white plate with turkey tetrazzini
Save Recipe Saved!

30 Minute Stovetop Turkey Tetrazzini

This is a quick and easy turkey tetrazzini recipe to make and is sure to become a new family favorite – plus it makes great use of Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers!
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.69 from 44 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 10 minutes mins
Cook 20 minutes mins
Total 30 minutes mins
Servings 4 servings
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ cup chopped onion optional
  • 10 ounces sliced white button mushrooms
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth see notes about seasoning
  • 2 ½ cups milk whole or 2% preferred
  • 1 (12-oz) box spaghetti uncooked (regular, whole wheat or high-fiber all work)
  • 2 cups cooked and shredded turkey OR rotisserie chicken OR around 1 pound cooked turkey breast
  • ½ cup sour cream low fat or full fat both work
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
  • Italian parsley chopped (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large pot one medium-high heat. Add the onion (if using) and mushrooms and cook until starting to soften. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
  • Pour the chicken stock and milk into the pot bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the spaghetti to the pot and cook until almost al-dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked turkey meat and finish cooking until the pasta is done.
  • Take the pot off the heat, stir in the sour cream, butter and cheese. Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley, if you like.
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Notes

Ingredient notes
  • Milk: Feel free to use half and half or evaporated milk in place of the regular milk. I do not recommend using all heavy cream in place of the milk, as it makes the dish very, very rich. But you may very well use half cream, half milk.
  • Mushrooms: I used white button mushrooms, but feel free to use brown ones or any other mushrooms you like.
  • Spaghetti: Using a long, thin pasta shape is classic in this dish. However, you can also make this with a short shape like spirals or bowties (I do this a lot, because it’s much easier than episode of toddler vs spaghetti).
  • Seasoning: Feel free to use dried parsley, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper to season your dish (add the seasoning to the onion and mushrooms). I used homemade chicken stock and leftover roasted turkey, so there was plenty of seasoning and flavor going on. If you use low sodium chicken broth, you may need salt and pepper, plus the herbs I mentioned to give the dish more flavor.
Recipe tips
  • Cook the mushrooms and onions long enough, to make sure they are fully soft and the liquid coming from the mushrooms has evaporated again. This is how the dish gets the best taste, and doesn’t turn out soupy.
  • Please do not pre-cook the pasta! It really goes in dry. If you pre-cook your spaghetti, you will make Tetrazzini soup.
  • Once the Tetrazzini are cooked, I recommend serving them right away. The longer the pasta sits, the more of the sauce it soaks up – it can make the dish feel a little dry if it rests on the counter for more than 5 minutes once it’s ready.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 637kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 36gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 316mgPotassium: 892mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 590IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 327mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. shelley says

    November 28, 2018 at 3:41 am

    i made this recipe and added a half of a green pepper chopped to the onion and mushrooms to soften I also added 1/4 cup of dry sherry to veggies while they suteed it was fantastic!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 28, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      That sounds so good, Shelley!! Glad to hear you liked the Tetrazzini – it’s one of our favorites!

      Reply
  2. Carrie Burns says

    November 28, 2018 at 1:59 am

    Absolutely amazing!!! Added broccoli and a couple of tweaks, but still, the inspiration and recipe are spot on! Thank you!!!!!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 28, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      Oh that sounds so good with the Broccoli, Carrie! My kids would absolutely love this – thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Rhonda Cartan says

    November 25, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    This is a great one-pot idea, but it really lacks on taste. Why eat light if it doesn’t taste good? I added a couple of cloves of galic, some Vermouth (any white wine will do) and for goodness sakes lots of black pepper. Great idea, though, just needed a few tweaks for my liking..

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 26, 2018 at 9:58 am

      Thanks so much for your feedback, Rhonda. I’m glad you found a few tweaks to alter the recipe to your liking. Please keep in mind, I have two small kids who tend to think cinnamon is too spicy (and when I made this, one of them was just over one year old), so I went for milder flavors to accommodate families with little ones around the table. But obviously recipes can always be changed up for individual tastes, and I’m sure your comment will inspire others to do the same with this recipe!

      Reply
  4. Jennifer says

    June 02, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    This looked delicious! I didn’t have turkey or chicken but I had tuna! Decided to add 2 pouches of tuna in water and swapped the onions for some steamed peas. Everything else was your recipe to exact. Tasted like tuna noodle casserole and it was fantabulous! Can’t wait to try it with the turkey! Thank you so much!!! Wonderful one pot wonder!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      June 04, 2017 at 10:24 am

      What a great idea with the tuna, Jennifer! I’m so glad you liked the recipe – and I appreciate your kind comment very much.

      Reply
  5. Diane says

    February 10, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    Making this tonight 🙂 ty for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Nora says

      February 11, 2017 at 9:20 am

      Hope you’ll love the Tetrazzini, Diane! Thanks for leaving a note – I appreciate your time so much.

      Reply
  6. Ginny says

    October 29, 2016 at 1:43 am

    4 stars
    I like this recipe. The only thing I added was some cajun seasoning. It took the flavor over the edge to awesomeness. I didn’t add a specific amount, just add, mix, taste. It was great! My husband is a picky SOB with food and he had 2nds. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 02, 2016 at 4:41 pm

      I love the idea with the cajun seasoning, Ginny. And I’m so happy you and your picky husband liked the recipe, thanks so much for your lovely feedback!

      Reply
  7. Carol Cripps says

    May 27, 2016 at 11:48 pm

    Thanks for this! LOVE tetrazzini, and think it’s the best reason for cooking a turkey at holiday time. However, it’s a time consuming process to make a traditional one, not to mention all the (yummy) calories it contains.I’ll try yours instead, especially now that it’s warmer, and I don’t have to turn the oven on. Cheers for all your hard work developing and sharing this.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 29, 2016 at 9:31 am

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Carol! I hope you’ll enjoy the tetrazzini!

      Reply
  8. Kathryn says

    May 03, 2016 at 10:41 am

    Hello! Can this be frozen and reheated later ? I’m getting ready to go back to work so I’m looking for meals to make in advance and freeze. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 03, 2016 at 7:51 pm

      Hi Kathryn, unfortunately I really wouldn’t recommend freezing this. As with most one pot pasta recipes the pasta tends to soak up loads of liquid when reheating, turning everything into a sticky mush 🙁 Sorry!

      Reply
  9. Sarah says

    April 13, 2016 at 2:23 am

    So I halved this recipe because I didn’t know if I’d like it or not… and OMG I wish I made more I almost ate it all in one sitting! Amazing recipe thank you!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 14, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      Haha, that’s what I like to hear 😉 Thanks for reporting back, Sarah. I appreciate it so much!

      Reply
  10. Shell says

    February 19, 2016 at 2:53 am

    Fyi, don’t be a dummy like me and add white wine. Causes the milk to curdle. Guess it will be wine Thursday for me… sent the husband out for sushi.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 17, 2016 at 11:37 am

      Oh no, I’m so sorry! I have definitely made that same mistake before – I even managed to curdle cream with white wine last week 🙁

      Reply
  11. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says

    November 06, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    This is the PERFECT way to use Thanksgiving leftovers! It look so delicious, I just want to dig in!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      Thank you so much, Lisa!

      Reply
  12. Denise @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

    November 06, 2015 at 4:27 am

    Well you KNOW I am a fan of one pot recipes, so this looks right up my alley! It looks so creamy and delicious! And a perfect way to use up left-overs!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 07, 2015 at 10:26 am

      Thank you Denise!

      Reply
  13. Izzy says

    November 06, 2015 at 12:21 am

    This is the first house we have lived in in so long that has had a dishwasher. You definitely get use to washing all your dishes by hand when you don’t have one but it still can be such a pain! I would probably limit my dish use too! I’ve never had turkey tetrazzini before but it sounds pretty amazing 🙂

    Reply
  14. Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says

    November 05, 2015 at 11:18 pm

    First off, god bless you Nora. I don’t know what I would do without my dishwasher. I would hate being in the kitchen at all. My hands are already so dry and wrinkle-y, hehe. I totally agree with you and love one pot pasta meals. This recipe looks so good and now I’m wishing I had a big bowl for lunch. Thanks for sharing friend! 🙂

    Reply
  15. Rachel @ Bakerita says

    November 05, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    I CAN’T believe that even with all of the delicious one put dinners I see around, I’ve never made one. This one is screaming my name though! Looks soo delicious, Nora!

    Reply
  16. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    November 05, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    5 stars
    Lol, I have a dang dishwasher and I never use the thing… Don’t ask me why. I guess I forget to ever unload it. So I stopped loading it in the first place. I’m cray. Anyways, I looove tetrazzini! But a lighter, 30 minute version? So Much Yaaahhhss! No way am I waiting for holiday Leftovers to make this though. Must have now! So good. Cheers, Nora! 😉

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:28 am

      Hahahaha Cheyanne, you ARE crazy!! Send me your dishwasher ASAP please 😀 Thank you so much for stopping by!

      Reply
  17. Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says

    November 05, 2015 at 10:00 pm

    I love recipes that use up turkey leftovers! I love leftover turkey, but you can only eat the full turkey dinner and turkey sandwiches so many times in a row before you’re just plain sick of it! This pasta looks fantastic, and I love that it’s a one pot meal as well as a fast meal!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:27 am

      Haha, I can only imagine! Thanks Stacey!

      Reply
  18. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says

    November 05, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    I love the idea of thirty minute Thursday, and I love this pasta! It’s so incredibly creamy for a one-pot meal 🙂

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:27 am

      Thanks Medha!

      Reply
  19. Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says

    November 05, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    I so totally know what you mean. I used to love spending hours making dinner! I actually did that on Sunday and it felt wonderful, because I didn’t have to photograph it or anything! But realistically, not gonna happen. This would be a huge hit here!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:26 am

      So true! Sometimes I cook with my husband more time-consuming stuff when there’s someone over for dinner and they can entertain our girl while we’re in the kitchen. It’s so much fun, but definitely not an everyday thing! Thanks Ashley!

      Reply
  20. marcie says

    November 05, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    One pot pasta meals do get so creamy, don’t they? This is such a great recipe, Nora! I love turkey tetrazzini but it can take a while to make the traditional way. This is the perfect recipe for leftover turkey, and I’m definitely making this after Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:25 am

      They really do, and I love that they don’t need anything heavy to make a perfect sauce! Thanks Marcie!

      Reply
  21. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says

    November 05, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    I’m with you, sometimes I miss those days where I could spend hours making a meal but quick and easy meals are our favorite now 🙂 Your Turkey Tetrazzini looks incredible, Nora! I love that you lightened it up and that it’s made all in one pot!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:24 am

      It almost seems ridiculous now, to spend hours on one recipe 😉 Thank you Kelly!

      Reply
  22. Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen says

    November 05, 2015 at 2:47 pm

    A big YES to one pot meals! This pasta looks so creamy and flavorful – I love that it’s a lighter version!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:24 am

      Thanks Kristine!

      Reply
  23. Liz @ Floating Kitchen says

    November 05, 2015 at 2:14 pm

    Confession: I still have never made a one pot pasta dish. GAH! What am I doing with my life. I need to remedy this situation ASAP! This Turkey Tetrazzini looks amazing, Nora. I want to slurp up all those noodles!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:24 am

      Liz, you need to change that ASAP!! Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  24. Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says

    November 05, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    Oh my goodness, this looks SO ultimately creamy, Nora! What a perfect way to use up turkey leftovers that us Americans are undoubtedly going to have soon!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:23 am

      Thank you Sarah!

      Reply
  25. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    November 05, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    I used to love whipping up time consuming meals all the time too, but lately, I’m all about fast and easy. This looks like the perfect weeknight meal, Nora! I love that you lightened up this dish, too. Sounds just perfect!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 06, 2015 at 8:23 am

      Thank you Gayle!

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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