Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini is a scrumptious creamy dish made with chicken, mushrooms, onions, garlic and pasta covered in a luscious cheddar cheese sauce and baked to golden perfection. This dish is so easy that even the novice chef can handle this recipe.  It is always a hit with the family and leftovers heat up like a dream. 

This is a real hearty meal but if company is coming I love to serve this with Italian Chopped Salad and cheese garlic bread.  When it is just the immediate family I will serve it up with a simple garden salad for nutrition and balance.

Why this recipe works!

• This recipe is always a huge hit with family and friends.  I mean what’s not to love about pasta, chicken, mushrooms, onions and garlic in a smooth creamy cheese sauce that is topped with another generous portion of cheese and baked to melted perfection.
• There is nothing complicated about this recipe.  It has simple ingredients and simple instructions so even the novice cook can master this dish.
• I am not a big fan of cream of anything soup. There isn’t any cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup.   This is a fresh yet easy made from scratch recipe that you can feel good about feeding your family.

How to make Chicken Tetrazzini

First bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat.  Add the spaghetti noodles and cook al dente according to the package instructions. Then drain well. Now brown your chicken in a large skillet over medium heat with a little vegetable oil. Then plate the chicken and let it rest.

Heat a little oil and melt a little butter in the same skillet over medium heat.  Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes then add the onions and continue cooking until the mushrooms are golden brown and the onions are soft.  Then reduce the heat and add the garlic cooking for about 1 minute stirring constantly.  Remove everything to a plate and cover but do not wipe out or clean the skillet.  Now melt the remaining butter and whisk in the flour.  Cook for a couple of minutes whisking constantly.  Then add the cream and chicken broth alternating between the two whisking until smooth. Then add the cooked vegetables to the sauce.  Simmer until slightly thickened whisking frequently.  Reduce heat to low and slowly add half of both cheeses alternating between the two and whisking until melted.  Whisk in the dried parsley and crushed red pepper flakes.

Cut the chicken into bite size Now in a large baking dish combine the cooked pasta, and cut up cooked chicken. Pour the sauce mixture into the baking dish. Stir to combine. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake covered for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• You can use spaghetti, thin spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine in this recipe. Just remember to cook it slightly al dente and drain well.
• I used already cooked rotisserie chicken but you can use poached, baked or even grilled chicken.  Cut it into small bite size cubes.
• For a lower fat version use whole milk in place of the cream.
• I use a white cheddar and sharp cheddar but you could also use a little parmesan cheese, gouda cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or mozzarella cheese.
• For a little variety add a cup of frozen peas to the cheese sauce.
• Cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and the casserole heats through.
• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze in a heavy duty freezer bag for up to 2 months.
• Reheat leftovers in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute intervals until heated through.

Other chicken recipes to try

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

This creamy Chicken Tetrazzini is made easy with a luscious cheddar cheese sauce over chicken, spaghetti, mushrooms, onion, and garlic.  This no canned soup recipe has a ton of flavor without any preservatives or artificial ingredients.

5 from 31 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal casserole

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 559kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti noodles
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 ¼ -1 ½ lbs chicken breast or thighs
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 lb white button mushrooms sliced thick
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Boil spaghetti slightly al dente according to package instructions.  Drain well.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides and almost fully cooked through. Remove chicken to plate and let rest.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil in same large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned; stirring several times.   Add the onions and continue cooking until the onions are soft and the mushrooms are browned; stirring several times.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute; stirring constantly.  Plate vegetables and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium low heat.  Whisk in flour.  Cook for 2 minutes whisking constantly.  Add cream and chicken broth alternating between the two. Whisk until creamy and smooth.  Add the cooked vegetables to the sauce.  Simmer until slightly thickened whisking frequently.  Reduce heat to low and slowly add half of both cheeses alternating between the two and whisking until melted.  Whisk in the dried parsley and crushed red pepper flakes.
• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. In the prepared dish combine the cooked pasta, cut chicken, and sauce stirring to combine. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake covered for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through.

Notes

• You can use spaghetti, thin spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine in this recipe. Just remember to cook it slightly al dente and drain well.
• I used already cooked rotisserie chicken but you can use poached, baked or even grilled chicken.  Cut it into small bite size cubes.
• For a lower fat version use whole milk in place of the cream.
• I use a white cheddar and sharp cheddar but you could also use a little parmesan, gouda or Monterey Jack.
• Cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and the casserole heats through.
• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze in a heavy duty freezer bag for up to 2 months.
• Reheat leftovers in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute intervals until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1006IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 1mg

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