Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting casserole sure to please the whole family!
Tender pasta gets tossed with shredded chicken, mushrooms, and peas in a lavishly creamy cheesy sauce.
It’s the ideal meal for busy weeknights and cozy weekends alike. You’ll love it!
What Is Chicken Tetrazzini?
Chicken Tetrazzini is an American-Italian baked pasta dish made with simple ingredients. And it’s a staple in my household!
Typically, it features poultry and pasta smothered in a buttery cream sauce. Oh, and plenty of cheese, to boot!
The dish itself is an homage to the talented opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini. Supposedly, Chef Ernest Arbogast in San Francisco named the dish after her in the early 1900s.
Ingredients
This Chicken Tetrazzini recipe tastes like a million bucks! And yet, the ingredients are budget-friendly.
Here’s what goes into this dish:
- Pasta – Use a noodle pasta like spaghetti or linguine.
- Chicken – You need shredded, cooked chicken. I prefer leftover chicken for convenience.
- Butter – For sauteing and making the sauce super-rich.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds depth and makes the casserole aromatic.
- Mushrooms – This cozy vegetable is right at home nestled in this dish. I use button mushrooms, but any sliced mushrooms will do.
- Chicken Broth – It thins the sauce while adding flavor. For an elevated version, use white wine instead.
- Canned Soup – Use both cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup. They create a rich, creamy sauce that’s delicious and convenient.
- Sour Cream – The sauce isn’t complete without the creamy tang of sour cream.
- Frozen Peas – For more nutrients, color, and flavor. Peas also help break up the richness.
- Cheese – Parmesan and mozzarella create the coziest sauce! I highly recommend using freshly grated. It will have a better flavor and melt more readily.
- Seasoning – I use regular table salt and black pepper. Add both to taste.
- Parsley – Garnish with fresh parsley to make the dish pop!
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
You can whip up this dish in about 1 hour. Just follow these basic steps:
1. Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions.
2. Saute the garlic and mushrooms. Cook the garlic in butter until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat. Add the chicken broth and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken soup, mushroom soup, sour cream, peas, and Parmesan. Stir. Add the pasta, chicken, salt, and pepper. Toss.
4. Assemble. Pour half the cooked pasta and sauce into the casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella on top. Top with the remaining pasta and mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 10-15 minutes.
6. Cool. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
There are so many heartwarming variations to Chicken Tetrazzini. Here are a handful I think your family will love:
- Make it extra creamy. Use 1 cup of sour cream and 8 ounces of cream cheese.
- Pan-fry the chicken. Cook the chicken in the same skillet you use for the sauce. Add the butter and garlic to the pot with the leftover juices. Then, deglaze with wine to get all those yummy brown bits off the bottom.
- Ditch the mushrooms. Don’t like mushrooms? Use 2 cans of chicken soup instead. Also, skip the button mushrooms.
- Swap out the chicken. Instead of chicken, try this dish with diced turkey.
- Go vegetarian. Just use 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and veggie stock or white wine. Also, omit the chicken and substitute it with your vegetables of choice.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Have a busy week? Add this easy casserole to your meal prep day!
To Make-Ahead: Assemble according to the directions up to step 5 and cover with foil. Refrigerate the unbaked casserole for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake according to the instructions plus another 15 minutes.
To Store: Store leftover casserole in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Wrap the assembled casserole tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
To Rheat: Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm.
What to Serve with Chicken Tetrazzini
Want to turn this dish into a well-balanced family dinner? Here are some of my top serving suggestions:
More Chicken Pasta Recipes
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
8
servings15
minutes45
minutesTry Chicken Tetrazzini for a comforting, home cooked meal! The mixture of shredded chicken, pasta, and mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce is to die for.
Ingredients
16 ounces linguine or spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish with oil or cooking spray.
- Prep: Cook the pasta to al dente per the package instructions. Drain and set aside. If using raw chicken, grill, bake, or fry until cooked through. Then, let it rest for 10 minutes before shredding or chopping into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. They should be tender and browned.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the chicken broth or wine, and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and mushroom soups, sour cream, peas, and Parmesan cheese. Stir well, then add the pasta and chicken and toss until well-coated. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
- Pour half the prepared pasta and sauce into the casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella even over the surface. Add the rest of the pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with fresh parsley garnish, and enjoy!
Me too…thanks for the Great uncomplicated recipes…
Where do you get 15 minutes prep time? All of these ingredients and all the steps take way, way longer than that!
Hi Holly!
The prep is mostly getting everything out and ready.
It’s an estimate, of course, since everyone will do things differently 🙂
I have been looking, desperately for a good tetrazzini recipe and this my friend looks delicious. I prepped it earlier today so I can just bake it after a baseball game for my family. I’m beyond excited, the sauce was delicious when I sampled it!!! Thank you for sharing, you’re an inspiration to this Momma!
I wish you would put the nutritional information with your recipes. I have a diabetic grandson and it would be much easier for me to use your recipes if I didn’t have to figure the carbohydrate grams to figure his insulin needs.
Hi, Carolyn!
I’ve recently spoken with Kim about this since so many commenters are asking for it. I believe we’re going to try to start implementing this soon. It will take quite some time to update all the recipes on the site. But *fingers crossed* hopefully we can start working on that very soon.
Wishing you and your grandson all the best! <3