Name: Turkey Tetrazzini I
Ingredients: 1 (12 oz) pkg. egg noodles; 1 (10½ oz) can cream of mushroom soup; ½ cup milk; ½ cup water; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1½ cups turkey cooked and cubed; 1½ cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed; 2 tbsp pimento (I personally do not use this); ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs; 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese; 2 tbsp fresh parsley

Why it works: Peas and carrot are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,994 recipes. Both carry 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells green bell pepper, earthy. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Peas + carrottop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,994 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
Mushroom + cheddar cheesetop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together705 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Mushroom + peastop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together890 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Mushroom + carrottop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,796 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Mushroom + turkeytop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together205 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Egg noodles: Provide the starchy base that holds the sauce and turkey together.
Cream of mushroom soup: Forms the creamy sauce base that moistens the noodles and turkey.
Cheddar cheese: Melts into the sauce, adding richness and savory flavor.
Cooked turkey: Supplies the main protein and meaty texture.
Bread crumbs: Form a crisp topping that browns in the oven.

The step that matters

Heat the cheese sauce gently. Cheese proteins turn grainy and separate when overheated, so cook over medium heat only until the cheese melts and the sauce is hot.

Swap the carrot

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, cream, mushroom, milk, cheddar cheese, turkey, peas):

Asparagusfits better
Potatofits better
Capsicumfits better
Carrotthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against egg, cream, mushroom, milk, cheddar cheese, turkey, peas. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Pea	1/2 cup (72g)	62
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Carrot	1 medium (61g)	25
Mushroom	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1
Soup	not in our table	0
Water	not in our table	0
Pimento	not in our table	0

Turkey Tetrazzini I