Rich and Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini (2024)

Last Updated on: March 16, 2024

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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.

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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.

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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!
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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!

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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.

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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:

  • Garlic Bread
  • Roasted Cauliflower
  • Oven-Roasted Green Beans
  • Green Salad
  • Broccoli Salad

More Chicken Pasta Recipes

One-Pot Chicken and Noodles

Crockpot Angel Chicken

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Rich and Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini (6)

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

Course: Main CourseCuisine: American

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Try 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!
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Rich and Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken tetrazzini sauce made of? ›

What you need for creamy Chicken Tetrazzini Sauce. Here's what you need to make the cream sauce for Chicken Tetrazzini: butter, flour, chicken broth/stock, milk, cream and cheese. The basis of Tetrazzini sauce is a béchamel sauce.

What makes Tetrazzini? ›

Tetrazzini is an Italian-American dish made with diced poultry or seafood and in a butter, cream or milk and cheese sauce flavored with sherry or white wine, and combined with linguine, spaghetti, egg noodles, or other types of pasta, sometimes topped with breadcrumbs or cheese, and garnished with parsley or basil.

Who created turkey tetrazzini? ›

The book San Francisco: A Food Biography does a deep-dive into the history of the dish, noting that the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, helmed by Chef Ernest Arbogast in 1905, is the person who was so inspired by Luisa Tetrazzini that he created the dish and named it after her.

How do you thicken Tetrazzini sauce? ›

Remove the mushroom mixture from the pot and set it aside while you make the cream sauce. In the same pot, melt a few more tablespoons of butter, and stir in the flour. Cook this for just 1-2 minutes, creating a roux that will make the sauce thick and creamy.

What is creamy pasta sauce called? ›

While bechamel sauce is made with milk and flour, alfredo sauce is mainly made with heavy cream and cheese. Both have a creamy texture that thoroughly coats pasta noodles, but bechamel tends to be thicker than alfredo sauce.

What are 5 components of a casserole? ›

Not every single casserole has all of them, but as a rule of thumb, here's what to look for: a starch, a binding agent or sauce, and a protein or vegetable. Many casseroles also have both vegetables and proteins, as well as a crunchy element to give some textural contrast, and cheese.

What are the 3 forms of pasta? ›

There are many different varieties of pasta. They are usually sorted by size, being long (pasta lunga), short (pasta corta), stuffed (ripiena), cooked in broth (pastina), stretched (strascinati) or in dumpling-like form (gnocchi/gnocchetti).

Why is lasagna not a casserole? ›

Lasagna is made with wide noodles, and it isn't tossed in the sauce and then served in a bowl like spaghetti or penne alla vodka, for example.

Why don t Italians cook pasta with chicken? ›

In Italy there are no dishes featuring pasta and chicken," she said. A traditional Italian meal consists of four to five courses: apervitivo, antipasto, primo, secondo, contorno, and dolce. Chicken is part of the secondo course, and is strictly treated as such. That could also be why Italians never cook it with pasta.

What is spaghetti called in China? ›

Mi Xian ( 米线 ) (Yunnan Rice Noodles)

Rice noodles come in different shapes, and the most common one is the round, spaghetti-like noodles called Yunnan rice noodles or mi xian.

Is fried chicken and spaghetti a thing? ›

There is no better example of this culinary cross-pollination than the local dish of choice — fried chicken and spaghetti. This combination isn't something you'd ever find in Italy. This is bone-in fried chicken in the Southern tradition.

Why is it called chicken tetrazzini? ›

It is supposedly named for Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, and was made by the chef at her hotel in the early 1900s. Chicken tetrazzini is a baked casserole made with poultry or seafood, and mixed with dairy and pasta that is topped with cheese and breadcrumbs.

What does tetrazzini mean in English? ›

Tetrazzini in American English

(ˌtetrəˈzini, Italian ˌtetʀɑːtˈtsini) adjective. (often lc) served over pasta with a cream sauce, often flavored with sherry, sprinkled with cheese, and browned in the oven.

What is chicken Tetrazzini made of? ›

Ingredients
  • 12 oz uncooked spaghetti.
  • 2 tablespoons butter.
  • 1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (about 3 cups)
  • 3 cups chopped cooked chicken.
  • 2 cans (10 1/2 oz each) condensed cream of mushroom soup.
  • 2 cups sour cream.
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

What is white pasta sauce made of? ›

White Sauce Pasta is simply cooked pasta mixed with a silky smooth & decadent white sauce made of milk, butter and flour. White Sauce also known as Bechamel Sauce has its origin from the Italian & French Cuisines. In classic culinary terms, this is what is known as a mother sauce.

What is pasta tomato sauce made of? ›

Marinara sauce, or pasta sauce is a slow-simmered sauce that is often made with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. In America, we often refer to marinara as a meatless, tomato-based sauce. Spaghetti sauce is essentially any sauce that you put on spaghetti.

What is casserole sauce made of? ›

The liquid in a casserole, mingling with the meat juices that do escape, provides the finished sauce. Bone stock is good for beef casseroles, but failing that plain hot water enriched with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup makes a handy instant stock.

What is this Pink Sauce stuff? ›

Ingredients disclosed on the Pink Sauce website include water, sunflower seed oil, raw honey, distilled vinegar, garlic, pitaya or dragon fruit, pink Himalayan sea salt, dried spices, lemon juice, milk, and citric acid.

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