Ham, turkey, noodles, and veggies, in a creamy, cheesy sauce?
This is one of those throw-back recipes to yesteryear when mothers across the country refused to let one piece of that damn turkey go to waste! Haha. Ham and Turkey Tetrazzini is one of my favorite casseroles. I look forward to this recipe as much as the Thanksgiving meal itself. It’s a little ridiculous how much food we make for Thanksgiving. And in this sense, I’m a little like your Grandmother, we are not wasting any of it!
Ham and Turkey Tetrazzini is a big, hearty casserole that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters. The creamy, cheesy sauce and pasta is a nice change from the usual leftover Turkey sandwiches.
Can I Modify Turkey Tetrazzini?
The sauce and the noodles are the backbones of the Tetrazzini casserole. After that, you can let your imagination go wild. Tetrazzini is an easy recipe. It uses many of the leftovers you have from the big Holiday meal. Therefore can be easily modified to use pretty much all of your leftovers. I love to use leftover green bean casserole or roasted veggies. Add them to the Tetrazzini, they will be an excellent addition.
Here are some of my favorite ways to modify Tetrazzini:
- Chicken Tetrazzini: Chicken is an easy substitute for ham and turkey. I like to use the ready to eat roast chickens at the grocery store. Simply shred the entire chicken and that’s your turkey substitute.
- Vegetarian Tetrazzini is amazing. One of my favorite ways to make a Tetrazzini is with leftover roasted veggies. Substitute 4-cups of roasted veggies for the Ham and Turkey
- Ham Tetrazzini: All you have leftover is ham? Awesome, no meat-eater is going to turn their nose up at a creamy, cheesy Ham Tetrazzini
How Long Will the Turkey Tetrazzini Keep?
Food safety is very important and we all know how dangerous it can be if we don’t pay attention to how old leftovers are.
- Properly refrigerated, cooked turkey is good for around 3-4 days after the initial cooking date. And the clock doesn’t start over just because we made a new recipe out of it. So, 3-4 days after the initial cooking turkey needs to either be eaten or frozen. Cooked Turkey on Thursday, Turkey Tetrazzini needs to be eaten or frozen on Monday.
- Turkey Tetrazzini can be made ahead and frozen, uncooked. This is good if you’re only cooking for a couple of people. I will often make a big batch, and freeze individual portions that can be thawed and baked in the future.
- Unbaked, frozen Turkey Tetrazzini will keep for about 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw completely and bake as usual.
To make it easier, I look at this as two recipes, Sauce and Filling. If you are like me and a lot of cooks, cooking can sometimes be chaos. Therefore, I like to give myself a chance to clear the decks and reorganize them often. This also allows me to use only one saucepan for both the Sauce and Filling.
Here is my Ham and Turkey Tetrazzini recipe:
Ham and Turkey Tetrazzini
Equipment
- Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup Diced Onion
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Crushed and chopped
- 8 Ounces Sliced Mushrooms
- 2 Cups Diced Carrots Leftover carrots are great!
- 2 Cups Diced or Shredded Turkey
- 1-2 Cups Diced Ham
- 1 Cup Frozen Green Peas
- 1 Pound Egg Noodles Al Dente
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Half & Half
- 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 8 Ounces Grated Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/3 Cup Sour Cream
Garnish
- 1 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Prepare Egg Noodles based on the manufacturer’s instructions. Undercook slightly as it will continue to cook in the oven.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and sauté onions until softened, add garlic for 30 seconds then add the mushrooms and seasonings, cover and let steam until mushrooms release their juices.
- If using leftover veggies, skip this step. Add chopped carrots, reduce heat to low, cover and let steam for 15 minutes. Add ¼ cup of water if dry.
- Add remaining ingredients, remove from the heat and toss everything together with the cooked egg noodles
Sauce Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the flour, cook for 1-minute, but don’t let the roux turn brown
- Slowly add the Half & Half, whisking constantly, then add the chicken stock and seasonings, whisk constantly until bubbling and the sauce has thickened
- Remove from the heat, stir in the cheeses, Dijon mustard and sour cream
- Pour the sauce over the filling and transfer to a large casserole dish, refrigerate for up to 3 days until ready to bake, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Ensure casserole is completely thawed
- Sprinkle the top of the casserole with additional shredded Parmesan cheese
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the Tetrazzini is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley
The Tetrazzini can be placed in one large casserole or several ovenproof dishes, and frozen uncooked for up to 3-months.
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