The BEST Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe! Made with juicy chunks of leftover chicken, onion, mushrooms, and spaghetti noodles smothered in a homemade cream sauce and topped with bubbling cheddar cheese. Learn how to make this easy chicken tetrazzini recipe and enjoy this simple, crowd-pleasing, pasta casserole year round!
Made-from-Scratch Chicken Tetrazzini
Chicken tetrazzini is one of those comfort foods I expected after each and every holiday growing up. My grandmother always made for my dad and so my dad, naturally, made it for us.
I hated it.
Made with canned cream of something (and lots of it!) and jarred pimentos, chicken tetrazzini (or turkey tetrazzini – basically the same thing by the way) was one of those pasta dinners I least looked forward to in all my childhood years.
Lucky for all of us, I’m not here to share this dreaded childhood tetrazzini recipe (sorry, Grandma). I’m here to talk about a chicken tetrazzini that really, truly tastes good!
One with NO jarred pimentos (I don’t get it- what was the point?), NO cream of any kind of soup (just like this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole), and therefore, NO MSG or modified, hard to pronounce ingredients.
What is Tetrazzini?
Thought to be invented in the early 1900s by Earnest Arbogast who was the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, where opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini was a long-time resident. Of course, this origin has been challenged on several occasions and is made even more confusing by the many versions and variations in existence (pimentos, anyone?)
What we do know, however, is that tetrazzini is an American dish typically made with some kind of shredded or diced meat such as poultry or seafood and mushrooms in a buttery cream sauce with cheese. Sometimes served over noodles or baked as a casserole, some versions are topped with breadcrumbs, almonds, canned fried onions, cheese, or a combination. Cream of mushroom soup or other canned cream soups has become a popular ingredient over the years to save time.
Ingredients
To make this extra awesome recipe, gather the following ingredients:
- Pasta Noodles – Traditionally you’ll find tetrazzini made with spaghetti noodles. If you don’t have any spaghetti noodles, that’s ok! Simply use another long noodle, or another favorite noodle such a penne or bowtie pasta.
- Chicken (or turkey) – Here’s the thing about this pasta casserole, it doesn’t really care if you use chicken or turkey. It doesn’t care if it’s been baked, poached, or grilled. All that matters is that you add something.
- Mushrooms – Yum! Mushrooms! The mushrooms are actually my favorite part of this whole dish. Unlike using cream of mushroom soup, when you make a homemade cream sauce you will actually get real sliced mushrooms!
- Butter – You need butter to make the cream sauce. It will be melted and whisked together with all-purpose flour to make a roux.
- Onion – Slice your onion into fat slices or into tiny little pieces, it’s entirely up to you. Either way, onion adds tremendous flavor. Unfortunately, my 5-year-old doesn’t share the same passion for onions that I do so I had to dice mine as small as I could get them without chopping my fingers off.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic. Please, please!
- All-Purpose Flour – Since we’re making our own super creamy, super delicious sauce, we’re going to need something to thicken it. That’s where flour comes in. If you’re gluten-free, try substituting with rice flour or a gluten-free all-purpose flour instead.
- Chicken Broth – Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water will all work. Keep an eye out for sodium levels, however, as regular canned chicken broth can be sneakily high in sodium.
- Lemon Juice – Must be fresh. Please. Since you’re adding the lemon juice at the same time as the chicken broth and before the milk, you don’t need to worry about curdling the milk or cream.
- Half-and-Half and Milk – I like using a mix of milk (2%) and half-and-half. You can absolutely use all cream or all milk or all half-and-half.
- Cheese – Don’t forget the cheese! I love classic shredded sharp cheddar cheese, but sometimes I’ll add some shredded parmesan or asiago cheese for a little extra flavor.
How to make Chicken Tetrazzini
To make this delicious chicken tetrazzini recipe simply,
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Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, if you prefer to save on dishes, you can skip the casserole dish and cook (and bake!) everything in a large Dutch Oven, such as this one.
- Cook chicken or use leftovers. To poach chicken breasts bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the chicken breasts (you’ll want approximately 3 large chicken breasts) and return to a boil. Allow chicken to boil and cook for 5 minutes before removing from the heat. Cover. Allow chicken to rest for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F as read with a digital meat thermometer).
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Shred chicken – Allow chicken to rest until cool enough to handle then shred using two forks or your hands. Gather approximately 5 cups of cooked chicken (or leftover turkey).
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Boil noodles – Meanwhile, as the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just under al dente. Drain, rinse and set aside.
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Sauté the vegetables – Heat a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Mix in the onions with the mushrooms, stirring well to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are golden and the onions are soft. Finally, add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper, mixing well to combine. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate.
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Prepare the sauce – In the same heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisking continuously, add the all-purpose flour. Continue to whisk until roux is golden and a fully combined paste.
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Add the liquid – To prevent clumping, slowly add the chicken broth. Whisk continuously. Add the lemon juice, half and half, and milk, and continue to whisk until smooth. Bring to a low simmer then reduce heat to low and sprinkle in the chopped fresh parsley.
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Return the chicken – Return the chicken, mushrooms, and onions to the sauce. Gently mix in the spaghetti noodles and mix to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
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Transfer chicken and noodle mixture to a large casserole baking dish. Sprinkle with additional fresh parsley, if desired, and top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Or, skip the casserole dish and bake directly in your Dutch oven. Simply add everything to the Dutch oven, top with shredded cheddar cheese, and transfer to the oven.
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Bake – Transfer baking dish to the oven and tent with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the foil tent and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes.
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Serve – Allow the baking dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Can you freeze Chicken Tetrazzini?
Yes, absolutely!
Assemble your chicken tetrazzini according to recipe instructions. When it is time to transfer the creamy chicken and noodles to a baking dish, double-check and make sure that it is also freezer safe. Sometimes, if it’s busy holiday season and I know I’ll be needing my baking dishes, I’ll use disposable, freezer-friendly foil baking pans. You may add cheese before freezing or wait and add the cheese just before baking. Cover and freeze. Best within 3 months.
- To thaw and reheat, it’s best to remove from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes covered, then remove the foil tent and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- To reheat chicken tetrazzini from frozen, add an additional 30-45 minutes to the total baking time, only removing the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Tips and Tricks
- Make extra turkey over the holidays and save the leftovers! Simply chop the leftover turkey into small bite-size pieces and transfer to a freezer-friendly bag or container. Thaw and use to make this chicken (ahem, turkey) tetrazzini recipe months after the holiday turkey coma has worn off.
- Add some extra veggies, As much as I love creamy cheese noodles, I also love sneak vegetables. Peas, spinach, broccoli, or even kale would make great additions.
- Add as many mushrooms as you want (or none at all). It’s true, you guys. You do not have to add mushrooms. If you’re not a fan, I recommend leaving them out and substituting with cauliflower or broccoli.
- You really don’t want to cook your pasta beyond al dente. In fact, just to be safe, let’s stop cooking our pasta a good minute before it even reaches al dente. If you’re confused what al dente pasta is, it’s simply a fancy way of saying cook your pasta until it is soft but still slightly firm. Since the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, the last thing we want is mushy over-cooked noodles.
What to serve with Chicken Tetrazzini
Tetrazzini is a hearty meal within itself. You’ve got noodles, meat, vegetables, and a creamy cheese sauce. Growing up I remember my dad serving his version with store-bought frozen garlic bread and (sometimes) frozen peas in a butter sauce. Definitely great suggestions (thanks, dad!), but here are a few of my own,
Vegetables are always a great idea. A few delicious options include Roasted Asparagus, Beets (my fav!), Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Cauliflower, or even Honey Glazed Carrots.
Salads like this Balsamic Tomato Basil Salad and fruit salad are also delicious (and healthy!) additions to this family-friendly casserole.
But Homemade Applesauce or simple Fried Apples are my favorite sweet side that I always serve with this awesome creamy casserole.
More chicken recipes,
- Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
- Cheesy Chicken Caprese Casserole Recipe (Low Carb + Gluten-Free)
- Cashew Chicken Recipe (better than take-out)
- Chicken Shish Kabob Recipe (Shish Kebabs)
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
- The Best Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
If you try making this Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) dry spaghetti noodles
- 5 cups shredded chicken - (or turkey)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil - divided
- 20 ounces crimini mushrooms - sliced
- 6 tablespoon butter - divided
- 1 large yellow onion - diced
- 5 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ lemon - juiced
- 1.5 cups
half and half
- 0.5 cups milk
- 3 tablespoon
fresh parsley
-chopped
- 2 cups
sharp cheddar cheese
-shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Shred chicken - gather approximately 5 cups of cooked chicken (or turkey) and shred into small, bite-size pieces (see notes).
- Boil noodles - Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just under al dente. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables - Heat a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Mix in the onions with the mushrooms, stirring well to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are golden and the onions are soft. Finally, add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper, mixing well to combine. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Prepare the sauce - In the same heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisking continuously, add the all-purpose flour. Continue to whisk until roux is golden and a fully combined paste.
- Add the liquid - To prevent clumping, slowly add the chicken broth. Whisk continuously. Add the lemon juice, half and half, and milk, and continue to whisk until smooth. Bring to a low simmer then reduce heat to low and sprinkle in the chopped fresh parsley.
- Return the chicken - Return the chicken, mushrooms, and onions to the sauce. Gently mix in the spaghetti noodles and mix to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Transfer chicken and noodle mixture to a large casserole baking dish. Sprinkle with additional fresh parsley, if desired, and top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
- Bake - Transfer baking dish to the oven and tent with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the foil tent and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve - Allow the baking dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Jessica's Notes
- Almost any chicken or turkey will work for this recipe. A quick option would be the meat from a rotisserie chicken or turkey dinner leftovers. You may also poach chicken breasts which takes approximately 30 minutes.
- To poach chicken breasts - bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and return to a boil. Allow chicken to boil and cook for 5 minutes before removing from the heat. Cover. Allow chicken to rest for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F as read with a digital meat thermometer).
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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