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This chicken tetrazzini is an easy, creamy and delicious classic comfort dish. It is a perfect winter warmer and pretty much everyone absolutely loves it. You can make it ahead of time and freeze it pretty well, too! This is a guaranteed family favorite.
Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole
As the weather gets colder, we all start to crave some really classic home-style recipes. Casseroles, bakes, pies, and dense, comforting meals are the order of the dayโฆ or the season! Thatโs why we absolutely love chicken tetrazzini. Itโs so deliciously creamy and cheesy, with a cheesy top and thanks to the pasta and chicken, a very filling finish. This is a very satisfying dinner, and weโll be impressed with anyone who can finish more than one helping.
What is Chicken Tetrazzini?
Chicken tetrazzini is a pasta bake casserole made with shredded or sliced chicken or turkey, mushrooms, and a buttery, creamy sauce. Itโs an American dish that was created by chef Ernest Arbogast in tribute to the opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, who made her debut at his San Francisco hotel way back in the 1900s.
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Chicken Tetrazzini might feel like a strange combination of ingredients, but trust us. Itโs worthwhile. As it cooks, it becomes beautifully cheesy and bubbly, and once you take a bite, itโs easy to become a chicken tetrazzini loyalist. It really passes the test even for the pickiest eaters at your dinner table!
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: We like to use a thin spaghetti, but you can use any kind of pasta you like. Often, chunky, creamy pasta sauces go very well with shorter pastas with ridges and whorls to catch the sauce. Whatever your choice of pasta, be sure to cook it al dente to prevent it from going mushy in the baking process.
- Chicken: We love using seasoned and cooked chicken breast for this recipe. A rotisserie chicken also works great, and you can use light or dark meat, or a combination of both. You could also use any leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!
- Capers: We love to add capers for that lemony tang.
- Sauce: This sauce is made from cream of canned goods, which cooks very quickly. Weโre using cream of mushroom soup for this recipe. We are also going to use low sodium chicken broth, melted butter, and sour cream.
- Seasonings: Our choice of seasonings for this recipe is salt and pepper. This dish is mainly flavored by the chicken and cheese, so you donโt need anything too strong that could overpower these flavors. We also like to add freshly minced garlic when sautรฉing mushrooms for a little extra kick.
- Cheese: We love the combination of shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and a sharp cheddar for flavor and texture.
- Mushrooms: Weโre using button mushrooms in this creamy pasta sauce, or you could use brown mushrooms. You can leave these out, but we find they add a splash of flavor.
How To Make Chicken Tetrazzini
- First, weโre going to slice or shred our cooked or rotisserie chicken.
- Then cook your pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. We recommend cooking your pasta for about a minute less than your package suggests for the authentic al dente texture.
- Sautรฉ mushrooms and garlic.
- Combine your sauce ingredients, chicken, mushrooms, pasta and spices until they are incorporated and consistent.
- Next, pour your mixture into a greased 9ร13 casserole dish and sprinkle generously with your cheeses.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes.
- Let your pasta bake rest for five minutes before serving. Finally, enjoy!
Can You Make Chicken Tetrazzini Ahead of Time?
One of the great things about chicken tetrazzini is how easy it is to make ahead of time. If you need to get some meal prep done before a busy week, this is a great candidate.
The best way to make your chicken tetrazzini ahead of time is to make as per our instructions, up until the baking step. At that point, instead of baking it, cover your baking dish tightly with foil and refrigerate it. It will keep in the fridge like this for up to 24 hours.
When itโs time to bake your chicken tetrazzini, simply remove from the fridge and add an extra 15 minutes to your baking time.
How To Freeze Chicken Tetrazzini
The best way to do this is prep your tetrazzini as per our recipe, in a freezer safe casserole dish. Cover it tightly in plastic wrap, and again in foil. You can keep tetrazzini like this for up to two months. When you want to, simply thaw it out in the fridge overnight, baking as per our recipe.
How to Store Leftovers
Let leftovers cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at a slightly lower temperature than baking to keep the cheese melty and the top crispyโmicrowaving can make it rubbery.
Other Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes
If you make this recipeย be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a ratingย โญโญโญโญโญ! We will be happy to hear from you!
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Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin spaghetti or linguine, uncooked
- 4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
- 1 pound button or brown mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and sliced ( or shredded rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons capers, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350หF| 176หC.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pan heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sautรฉ 4 minutes or until softened. Then add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl combine the remaining butter, cooked mushrooms, cooked chicken, soup, sour cream, chicken broth, capers, pasta,ย salt and pepper.ย Stir until evenly coated.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into a 9 x13-inch baking casserole dish. Top with cheeses. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cheeses are melted and the casserole is heated through.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
- ย
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is so good my picky eaters request it. It’s a new favorite in our house.
Hi Kim! That’s fantastic news! It’s always a win when a dish becomes a favorite, especially with picky eaters. And thank you for sharing!