The Vintage Comfort Dish Everyone Used To Make With Leftover Turkey

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In a post-Thanksgiving haze, those of us who rule over the kitchen don't slide into a tryptophan-induced slumber like most people. Nay! We are hard at work, thinking of amazing ways to use all that leftover turkey! Of course, some must be set aside for a few long-awaited leftover turkey sandwiches. (Take a page out of Ross and Monica Geller's book and use a gravy-soaked piece of bread as a "moist maker.") But with the rest of it, perhaps you might revive an old favorite. 

While turkey Tetrazzini has been around since the early 20th century, it's one of those old school winter dishes that people rarely make anymore. Still, a dish that has endured so many decades has seen its fair share of tinkering. Today, you're unlikely to find two turkey Tetrazzini recipes that are just alike. Most often, it  combines chopped turkey with  noodles and a creamy, often-cheesy sauce — sometimes made with a roux. There are usually mushrooms involved, more often than not some peas, onion, garlic, and almost certainly, a splash of white wine or sherry. We're never surprised to see a bread crumb topping, or a layer of melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Whatever version you find in front of you, this vintage casserole wraps you in its rich, carby goodness like a warm hug. It's filling, easy to modify, and gives new life to leftovers, making it a favorite with housewives through the1980s.

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The origins of turkey Tetrazzini are more than a little murky, with two chefs – one in San Francisco and the other New York City — both getting credit for its creation (among others). Either way, the American-Italian dish is said to be named after opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, though it's unclear if she ever had a bite of the dish. While the first printed recipe for Tetrazzini appeared in Good Housekeeping in 1908, it was considered a rather fancy dish reserved for high-class dinner parties or the menus high-end eateries like New York City's Sardi's through the 1930s.It wasn't until the 1950s that this dish truly became a household name, when women looking for more efficient ways to feed the family leaned heavily on canned products. 

Cream of mushroom soup became a common ingredient. While turkey Tetrazzini was most commonly made with spaghetti, variations of the recipe might call for fettuccini or egg noodles instead. As for the turkey, that wasn't considered absolutely necessary either. Sometimes it was made with chicken or even seafood. While this kind of versatility made it popular, it also took it from a fine food to a common one. Like many things eventually do, it fell in popularity. However, we don't see any reason why you shouldn't pull out your grandma's turkey Tetrazzini recipe. Ours combines creamy half-and-half, cream cheese. Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses for a decadent cream sauce that hits the spot all winter long.