This Chicken Tetrazzini is an Italian comfort food classic! I mean what’s not to like, juicy chicken, silky noodles, garlic butter mushrooms all baked in the most delicious creamy cheese sauce and topped with, wait for it, more cheese! This truly is the definition of comfort food there’s nothing better than a hot bubbling pasta casserole straight out of the oven to warm you up on a chilly night.
Better yet this chicken recipe is super easy to make, can be prepared in advance, and can be used with leftover or rotisserie chicken to make it even easier. Perfect for when you need to feed the family on a busy weeknight, trust me they won’t be disappointed! For more delicious recipes, try my easy chicken parmesan recipe, chicken piccata recipe, and my creamy chicken florentine.
What you’ll need to make this
Pasta – It’s better to use long noodles for this chicken pasta bake so I’ve gone for linguine but you could also use spaghetti or fettuccine too!
Chicken – This is a great way to use up leftover chicken! I use pre-cooked chicken breasts cut into cubes but you could also use a rotisserie chicken that’s been shredded to save time.
Chicken stock – The stock along with the cream and milk helps make a deliciously creamy and flavorful sauce. Make sure to use low sodium so you can control the amount of salt that goes in!
Cheese – Parmesan adds richness and the mozzarella creates that perfect oozing and melted layer on top of the chicken pasta that’s impossible to resist.
How to make Chicken Tetrazzini
1. Saute the mushrooms in butter until they are soft and golden.
2. Add the onions and cook them until translucent then add the garlic. Once everything is cooked transfer to a plate.
3. Add more butter to the Dutch Oven until melted then whisk in the flour, cook for a few minutes.
4. While whisking gradually add in the chicken stock followed by the milk and cream.
5. Once the tetrazzini sauce has thickened add in the mushroom mixture, chicken, parsley, and cooked pasta.
6. Add some of the cheese and stir to combine. If desired, a few tablespoons of sour cream can add some richness and tang.
7. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with mozzarella.
8. Bake until the cheese has melted and bubbling.
Pro tips for this recipe
- You can leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian.
- When making the sauce add the liquids (stock, milk, and cream) in gradually allowing the mixture to thicken each time. The sauce thickens much quicker this way.
- You can tell the sauce is thick enough by drawing a line with your finger over the back of a wooden spoon. If it holds it’s ready but if it drips over the line it needs cooking for a few minutes more.
- Butter adds a ton of flavor so try not to skip it, you can use olive oil if you need to.
- The onion and garlic add the best flavor to this dish so they must be fresh don’t use any powders instead.
- You can use any kind of milk you like in this easy chicken tetrazzini but I find that whole milk works best for adding richness and flavor.
- Don’t like mushrooms? no problem you can leave them out or substitute them for a different vegetable such as peas, spinach or broccoli.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Tetrazzini mean?
Apparently, this creamy chicken dish was first created by a chef in the US for an Italian opera singer named Luisa Tetrazzini and so Chicken Tetrazzini was born! Nowadays, tetrazzini refers to long noodles prepared with a creamy garlic and mushroom sauce that’s baked with cheese and it’s super popular.
Can I also use turkey?
Absolutely, this chicken dinner is a great way to use up leftovers whether it’s chicken, turkey, ham, or sausage. Choose whatever meat you like and add it into the sauce (make sure it’s pre-cooked before you add it).
What can I serve with this?
I love to serve some greens with chicken tetrazzini as well as focaccia, my easy dinner rolls recipe, or my homemade garlic bread recipe.
Can I prepare this in advance?
Yes, I recommend preparing the sauce and pasta separately and letting them both cool completely before combining. Make sure to drizzle the pasta with oil once it’s drained to stop it from sticking as it cools. Once everything has cooled and mixed together transfer it to a casserole dish a place in the fridge until you are ready to bake. It will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Can I freeze this?
Yes, you can assemble the whole dish and freeze or freeze any leftovers you have. You can bake straight from frozen until the middle of the dish is piping hot (around 50-60 minutes). I find freezing in foil trays works best!
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tetrazzini:
- 16 oz thin spaghetti or linguine
- 2 lbs cooked chicken breast cubed or shredded, or one rotisserie chicken.
- 8 oz button mushrooms thickly sliced
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
For the Creamy Sauce:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup ap flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped, plus more to garnish
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water to al dente then drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Add butter to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat then saute mushrooms until they start to soften and turn golden. add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent while mixing.
- Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Once fragrant and softened, remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Place back on medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup butter and whisk in the flour once melted. Cook for about a minute while whisking to make the roux.
- Whisk in the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper then whisk in the milk and finally the cream. Once thickened add the mushroom and onion mixture along with the chicken, parsley, and pasta to the cream sauce then fold together so everything is well distributed. As you mix sprinkle in a cup of shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
- Transfer to 9x13 casserole dish, smooth out and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
Video
Notes
- You can leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian.
- When making the sauce add the liquids (stick, milk, and cream) in gradually allowing the mixture to thicken each time. The sauce thickens much quicker this way.
- You can tell the sauce is thick enough by drawing a line with your finger over the back of a wooden spoon. If it holds it's ready but if it drips over the line it needs cooking for a few minutes more.
- Butter adds a ton of flavor so try not to skip it, you can use olive oil if you need to.
- The onion and garlic add the best flavor to this dish so they must be fresh don't use any powders instead.
- You can use any kind of milk you like but I find that whole milk works best for adding richness and flavor.
- Don't like mushrooms? no problem you can leave them out or substitute them for a different vegetable such as peas, spinach or broccoli.
- You can prepare the sauce and noodles in advance, let them cool, assemble then store in the fridge until you are ready to bake or it can be frozen and baked straight from frozen (50-60 minutes).
