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!
2cupslow-sodium chicken brothsee notes about seasoning
2 ½cupsmilkwhole or 2% preferred
1(12-oz) boxspaghettiuncooked (regular, whole wheat or high-fiber all work)
2cupscooked and shredded turkeyOR rotisserie chicken OR around 1 pound cooked turkey breast
½cupsour creamlow fat or full fat both work
1tablespoonbutter
¼cupparmesan cheesegrated
Italian parsleychopped (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.
Video
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.