Crock-pot Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini & 10 Other Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe Ideas

crock-pot turkey tetrazzini, D-F

Crock-pot Turkey Tetrazzini

Have you ever had tetrazzini in the crock-pot?  Here is a dairy-free slow cooker version of a classic recipe.  You can use any type of milk you’d like, though. crock-pot turkey tetrazzini, D-F

Slow Cooker Days

slow cooker turkey tetrazzini

My favorite part of preparing the Thanksgiving meal is having turkey for leftovers.  That is the reason I make two turkeys, one turkey baked and one turkey slow cooked in the crock-pot.  Since I am already doing the work to prepare one bird, why not cook two?  This is the biggest time saver in the kitchen I know, since it saves a tremendous amount of time on preparation and clean up.

slow cooker turkey tetrazzini

I love to make a variety of dishes out of shredded turkey and chicken.  It’s great to have a variety of flavors and options instead of always having a plain chicken sandwich (those can be great, too, though).  Tetrazzini is a dish we might have once a year at Thanksgiving time for a different kind of leftover.  This year I have experimented a few times with chicken and turkey, loving both.  11 Shredded Turkey/Chicken Leftover Ideas Collage

Crock-pot Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini, Dairy Free Option

Author Sonja

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of chicken or turkey shredded
  • 2 cups broth
  • 1 cup of coconut milk can use whole milk, or milk of choice
  • 2 cups of uncooked whole wheat spaghetti noodles broken into 2 inch segments
  • 2 stalks of celery diced
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1/2 bell pepper of choice diced
  • 1 cup of fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • dash of nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Optional, sauté onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until onions are at least translucent. This will give your vegetables a head start softening and bring another layer of flavor.
  2. Combine all ingredients except the milk and noodles, in the slow cooker.
  3. Cook on high for one hour and low for two hours.
  4. In the last hour of cooking stir in the milk and noodles.
  5. The tetrazzini is done when the spaghetti noodles are softened and the dish is heated thoroughly.
  6. If the tetrazzini is too soupy, turn the crock-pot on high with the lid off, to reduce some of the liquid. It thickens up in about 15 minutes.

The Verdict: I can’t believe how creamy this comes out, especially without dairy!  I am getting really excited about using coconut milk as a non-dairy alternative.

Looking for other recipes to vary your turkey leftovers? Let me count the ways. Shredded turkey can substitute for shredded chicken in any of these dishes.

Healthified Oriental Chicken Salad, G-F

Slow Cooker White Bean Chili

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

EASY Stir Fry

Chicken Burrito Bowl

 

Black Bean Mexican Manicotti

Thanksgiving Leftovers Soup in the Crock-pot

  Skinny Taquitos

 

Nachos with Shredded Meat

Chicken Pot Pie, D-F

 

Crock-pot Turkey Quinoa Chili

What do you do with your turkey leftovers??

Go here for the complete list of recipes.

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By Sonja

Sonja is a lover of the Lord, family, and friends. She digs DIY (especially re-purposing), fancies fitness, foods (whole), & fellowship. She is a thrifty thinker and jives with jazz. “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 ESV). Thanks for visiting!

4 comments

  1. If I had turkey leftovers, I’d go with a Mexican recipe. We prefer duck to turkey, though, and there aren’t many leftovers when we serve duck.

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