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 day… or the season! That’s why we absolutely love chicken tetrazzini. It’s 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 we’ll 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. It’s 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. It’s worthwhile. As it cooks, it becomes beautifully cheesy and bubbly, and once you take a bite, it’s easy to become a chicken tetrazzini loyalist. It really passes the test even for the pickiest eaters at your dinner table!
You'll Need
- 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. We’re 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 don’t need anything too strong that could overpower these flavors. We also like to add freshly minced garlic when sautéing mushrooms for a little extra kick.
- Cheese: We love the combination of shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and a sharp cheddar for flavor and texture.
- Mushrooms: We’re 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, we’re 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.
- Sauté 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 9×13 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 it’s 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
If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When it’s time to reheat your leftovers, we recommend using your oven rather than the microwave. Cheesy foods can become rubbery in the microwave, but you’ll get all the crispy, tasty goodness of your chicken tetrazzini with an oven reheat. Just be sure to use a slightly lower temperature than you would for cooking so you don’t overcook the tetrazzini completely.
Other Easy Chicken Recipes For Dinner For Family
Baked Italian Style Chicken Meatballs
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!
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Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
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!
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
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F| 176˚C.
- 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 sauté 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, salt and pepper. 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!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Casserole recipes
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 558kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
Keywords: chicken tetrazzini, chicken tetrazzini easy, how to make chicken tetrazzini
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I cooked this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe.
★★★★★
Hey, Tiffany! Thank you for your kind feedback!
I know this will become a favorite for my kids. So tasty!
★★★★★
Looks so delicious! This really is the ULTIMATE comfort food that tastes gourmet.
★★★★★
Chicken came out so tender and juicy! We enjoyed it! This is a great one for the upcoming festive season!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that Roxanne, thanks so much for the great review!❤️
The chicken was flavorful, tender and juicy (even though I accidentally over cooked it) This will definitely be a recipe I go back to again and again to make!!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear such great comments, I especially love that you will make it again and again, thanks so much for the great review!💗
Great recipe! We added double the amount of spices to give it more kick. I would definitely recommend.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for the great review!❤️ Glad you liked the recipe!
Delicious! I make this quite often and my whole family loves it! I'll be making it again! It's quick and easy!
★★★★★
I’m so happy it was a hit! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
I loved the step-by-step walkthrough for this recipe! Will surely have this again! This is now on my list of perfect weeknight dinners.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️ I am glad you liked the recipe!
Absolutely love this recipe. It's full of flavor and most importantly, simple to make. The whole family enjoys it!
★★★★★
Thank you, Natalie! I am glad you liked this recipe)).
The recipe was delicious! I made this for Christmas and it was hit. It will certainly be a weekly meal in my household from now on.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️ I am glad you liked the recipe!
This was outstanding! There aren't much recipes my family rate as excellent, but this one is definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Thank you Kensley!
I made this for dinner today. The whole family loved it. Thank you for a winner! It is very good, easy, quick and fabulous as it is written! I am adding it to our weekly rotation.
★★★★★
Thank you, Valerie!
Made this recipe this evening and it was AMAZING! Everybody called dibs on seconds! Will definitely put in rotation.
★★★★★
Thank you Mariella!
This was a quick and easy recipe! Great combination of flavors!
★★★★★
Thank you Jillian! I am glad you liked the recipe.
This dish was wonderful and so full of flavor. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Hey, Akilah! I am glad you liked the recipe and thank you for sharing your experience!
This was an incredible recipe with a great combination of ingredients that all work together. Will be making this often.
★★★★★
Hey, Salome! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️ I am glad you liked this pasta recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight, it was absolutely delicious! Will be adding this to my menu. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Hey, Aylins! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️ I am glad you liked this recipe!
Made this for the first time and it came out perfectly. This one is going into my recipe collection for sure! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you, Linnea!
This turned out fantastic! Thanks for the recipe, even my picky eater loved it! Now added to the recipe book.
★★★★★
Thank you, Madison!