Turkey Tetrazzini – Creamy, Comforting, and So Easy to Make

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Turkey Tetrazzini in a large pot

You’ve roasted the turkey, enjoyed the feast, and now you’ve got leftovers — the best part, right? This creamy turkey tetrazzini recipe is the ultimate way to turn that extra turkey into a cozy, family-favorite dinner.

This dish is everything you love about comfort food — tender noodles coated in a rich, cheesy sauce, bits of juicy turkey in every bite, and a perfectly golden topping. It’s easy to make, reheats beautifully, and honestly tastes even better the next day.

Whether you’re using leftover Thanksgiving turkey or rotisserie chicken, this easy turkey tetrazzini comes together in just a few simple steps. No fancy ingredients or complicated techniques — just real, creamy, delicious food that makes everyone at the table happy.

As I was finishing off the recipe I felt like it needed a little crunch on top, much like a perfect macaroni and cheese with a breading. I remembered that we had these Honey Dijon chips in our storage room so on a whim I ran down, grabbed the bag and crushed them up.

Dear sweet mercy, it was perfection!!

This post is sponsored by Kettle Brand.

Why You’ll Love This Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe

  • Creamy, rich sauce without being heavy
  • The perfect use for leftover Thanksgiving turkey
  • Family-friendly comfort food
  • Simple ingredients, easy prep

What is Turkey Tetrazzini?

Tetrazzini is an American main dish with diced poultry (yes you could use chicken as well) and mushroom in a butter/cream and parmesan sauce. It is served hot over linguine, spaghetti, or some similarly thin pasta, garnished with parsley.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Every ingredient in this best turkey tetrazzini recipe has a job to do! Here’s a quick look at what each one adds…

  • Spaghetti: The base of the dish that holds the creamy sauce and gives that classic, comforting texture.
  • Turkey: Adds hearty protein and mild flavor that pairs perfectly with the creamy sauce.
  • Olive Oil: Used for sautéing to build flavor and prevent sticking.
  • Button Mushrooms: Add earthy, savory depth and balance the richness of the sauce.
  • Garlic Cloves: Infuse the sauce with delicious, aromatic flavor.
  • Butter: Adds richness and forms the base of the creamy sauce.
  • Flour: Thickens the sauce when combined with butter to make a roux.
  • Chicken Broth: Thins the sauce slightly and adds savory depth.
  • Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Adds flavor and subtle heat.
  • Heavy Cream: Adds richness and makes the sauce extra velvety.
  • Milk: Creates a smooth, creamy texture an

The Ultimate Leftover Turkey Sandwich (aka The Gobbler!!)

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The Ultimate Leftover Turkey Sandwich (aka The Gobbler!!)

a photo of a half a turkey sandwich showing the cross section of the sandwich loaded with stuffing, cranberry sauce, turkey, lettuce, etc.

Make the most out of your Thanksgiving leftovers with this mouthwatering sandwich recipe. Filled with all your favorite holiday flavors, this leftover turkey sandwich is the perfect way to use up those extra turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce leftovers.

Inspiration for the Gobbler

Cade and I had noticed a little bread and sandwich shop in kind of an awkward little corner of a shopping area when our first daughter was just a little toddler. We’d passed it so many times and had become quite curious about it. I’d never been a fan of cranberry sauce nor stuffing but I’ll tell you what, this shop literally changed me.

A very nice man was there one evening when we stopped in and to this day it breaks my heart to remember him and his little dream he was trying to build. We bought some cinnamon bread for French toast and asked which sandwich to buy. He raved about his thanksgiving sandwich so we dove in.

My gosh, it was the most satisfying thing I’d ever sunk my teeth into. The flavors, the texture. All of it! I hate that his shop never took off. The bread and sandwiches were legit amazing. I think the location just killed the possibilities, but for me, it was the best of the best.

What Do I Need to Make a Leftover Turkey Sandwich?

It’s not every day that a sandwich or dish gets its own name. We have “The Soup” which is our most popular soup recipe here on the blog, and our Busy Day Casserole which has been a top performer for years. This leftover turkey sandwich needed it’s own name. It’s that good! The Gobbler was born! Pull out your Thanksgiving leftovers and here is everything you will need:

  • White Bread
  • Leftover Stuffing
  • Turkey Gravy
  • Cranberry Sauce
  • Leftover Turkey
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Mayo or Honey Mustard

What Type of Bread to Use

Usually I’m all about the multi-grain bread with loads of seeds and crunchies in it, but for this recipe, it’s all about the plain ol’ white bread. You want a good quality white bread that will hold up to all the delicious layers that will go into this sandwich. Sourdough bread would also be a delicious option!

How to Make the Gobbler

I love this sandwich recipe because I can use up leftovers in a creative and delicious way and i

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins with Streusel Topping

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Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins with Streusel Topping

a photo of a cranberry sauce muffin topped with a crumb streusel topping in a white muffin liner

Grab that leftover cranberry sauce and make these sweet and tart cranberry sauce muffins. They make a great breakfast or brunch!

Last year I got fed up with all the leftover cranberry sauce so for months after, I tried sticking it in and on everything trying to find the best ways to use it. You can only eat leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches for so many days before you’re totally burned out. In fact, our leftover Thanksgiving turkey sliders is a fabulous way to use leftover cranberry sauce, but I still wanted to find something different. These heavenly cranberry sauce muffins with streusel crumb topping were born.

Recommended Equipment

Before You Begin…

Make sure you have your cranberry sauce ready to go. Hopefully you have leftovers from Thanksgiving so this step is already done. You can make it homemade or use store bought cranberry sauce. I’ve linked to our homemade cranberry sauce recipe in the recipe card.

What Do I Need to Make Cranberry Sauce Muffins?

I’m going to divide the list of ingredients up between the streusel topping and the muffin batter. Jump on the streusel topping first…

For the Streusel

  • All-Purpose Flour: gives the streusel topping structure
  • Light Brown Sugar: adds sweetness and rich flavor
  • Kosher Salt: enhances all the flavors
  • Cinnamon: adds warmth and that classic fall flavor
  • Ground Cardamom: I love the flavor of a little cardamom with cranberry sauce!
  • Butter: binds the streusel together, the key to a good streusel

For the Batter

  • Sugar: adds sweetness and balances out the tart cranberry sauce
  • Vegetable Oil: adds needed fat and moisture to the muffins
  • Eggs: give the muffins structure and rise
  • <

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey and Stuffing Acorn Squash

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Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey and Stuffing Acorn Squash

A photo of several acorn squashes that have been cut in half and roasted and stuffed with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Everyone needs more acorn squash recipes, especially when they are stuffed with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing! Repurpose all those leftovers in big way!

Last year I was fussing to my Mom on the phone about how much turkey I needed to use up after the holidays and she mentioned that she’d made the yummiest little concoction to use up the last of their turkey leftovers the night before. Quickly she typed up a text to me and I put it to the test within 24 hours. Turkey stuffed acorn squash uses everything you have lying around and my goodness, it’s almost like the perfect sandwich with all of those layers of flavor!

Ingredients for Leftover Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

The best thing about this recipe is that it’s so easy and almost all the ingredients are leftovers, so they are already set to throw in. Here is what you will need:

  • Acorn Squashes – you want two squashes, cut in half and scooped clean
  • Onion – yellow onion, diced small
  • Turkey (cooked and chopped) – you can use white meat or dark or a mix of both
  • Stuffing – any type of stuffing works great, we love to use our no fuss make ahead stuffing
  • Cranberry Sauce – adds the perfect sweetness and tanginess
  • Chicken Broth – since you are baking cooked food again, you want to add a little moisture so it doesn’t dry out
  • Salt – flavor, you can add as much or as little as you want

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Stuffed Acorn Squash

It’s as easy as cleaning out a couple of acorn squashes and stuffing it with a bunch of Thanksgiving leftovers. So simple! Here are the basic steps:

  1. Preheat the oven.
  2. Cut the squashes in half and clean them out. Slice a thin piece off the bottom of each so they sit flat.
  3. Roast the squashes.
  4. Saute the onion in a skillet over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the roasted squash and bake.
  6. Serve with more cranberry sauce or gravy.

All of these instructions in full detail can be found in the recipe card below.

 

Can I Use Butternut Squash?

Yes. This recipe is delicious with butternut squash. I would quarter the squash so that they aren’t too big but you absolutely can use butternut squash instead of acorn squash. 

Can You Eat Acorn Squash Skin?

Yes, the skin can be eaten but I prefer not to. It is quite thick and has a waxy texture.

 

How to Eat Stuffed Acorn Squash

Since I prefer to not eat the skin, I treat the skin almost like a bowl. I just take a fork or spoon and dig into the squash. I love getting a little flesh of the squash with some of the filling. It is the perfect bite!

What to Eat with Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipes?

Stuffed acorn

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders

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Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders

Take your Thanksgiving leftovers and combine them into the most tasty sliders! Turkey, stuffing, cheese and cranberry sauce in a mini sandwich baked in a poppy seed dressing…yummmmm!

For four years now I’ve been playing around with turkey sandwiches and I’ve for sure figured out a few leftover turkey recipes you need to try. For example, have you had a delicious roll with cream cheese, poppy seed dressing, mozzarella or havarti cheese (ohhhh or muenster!) with a nice slice of turkey? Easy and so delicious. 

a photo of a turkey cranberry slider covered in a buttery poppyseed dressing with cranberry sauce and melty cheese oozing out the sides

But this is not about that sandwich. This is about the idea I’ve been playing with year after year and finally I just went all in and added every main ingredient, turkey, stuffing, a killer honey mustard sauce, cranberry sauce and especially melty cheese. And THEN!!!! Cover the whole thing in a butter poppy seed dressing and bake it all in the oven. 

This is the ultimate leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders recipe!  

a photo of a baking dish full of turkey sliders that are golden brown, covered in poppy seed dressing with cheese and cranberry sauce oozing out.

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