Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

This chicken tetrazzini casserole recipe is Italian-American food at its best. It's rich, creamy, and perfectly hearty - this casserole makes a wonderful dinner any time. This recipe can be very versatile, and it's easy to modify, so have fun with it.

I have a lot of excellent oven-baked chicken casseroles. But right now I just want to shine a light on my baked chicken cordon bleu, baked chicken legs and easy chicken broccoli casserole, which are both fantastic and super easy to make.

🐓 Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

If you're from the South, then you know a family union is not complete without creamy casseroles and comforting pasta dishes with lots and lots of cheese. This chicken pasta casserole brings back the memories of our family reunions over the years. The fleeting but precious days full of laughter and delicious spread of food.

My mum's chicken tetrazzini was a showstopper. Each bite, and you'll feel the love. This creamy, buttery delight was always a hit with everyone in the family.

I've made this casserole dish countless times, so I want to share this hard to resist recipe today. If you're a fan of bold flavors, then you'll love this pasta bake recipe.

What's more, it's so easy to make! Don't let the tetrazzini name fool you into believing it's something complicated or fancy. A super chef named it after an Italian opera star - that's it! Try it, and I promise you won't be disappointed. If you have a busy week I recommend you to try my 20 minute penne carbonara recipe.

The bonus of this recipe? It's freezer-friendly, and you can make it well in advance. Similar to my mouth-watering texas chicken spaguetti recipe.

🍽 Ingredient notes

Fresh mushrooms are a nice touch and you can easily incorporate cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup for an amazing recipe. Just cut back on chicken broth!

I prefer using half and half because it has lower fat content than whipping cream or heavy cream. The trade-off is you get a thinner consistency, but it still packs a creamy mouthfeel and tangy flavor.

Substitutes

Pasta

I used regular spaghetti for this tetrazzini chicken recipe because it holds up well in creamy sauces, but feel free to use any pasta. I've seen people using linguine, vermicelli, and even fettuccine. If you're intolerant to gluten or trying to cut out refined carbs. In that case, you can use alternatives such as chickpea pasta, shirataki noodles, zucchini noodles, and the likes. In short, just use your favorite pasta and see how it goes.

Chicken

The best thing about chicken is how versatile it is. So yes, you can substitute chicken breasts for thighs or tenderloin. If you're feeling uninspired or short on time and got some leftover chicken after a roast or from a rotisserie chicken you had bought at the store, feel free to use it up. You can even swap chicken for turkey.

Veggies

You can always add more veggies to your chicken tetrazzini. It's an incredible way to add a dose of nutrients to your casserole. You can vegetize your cream of chicken with peas, red bell pepper, celery, asparagus, or any other veggie of your liking!

White wine

If the idea of adding wine doesn't sound appealing to you or you don't have it on hand, just leave it out. Use more chicken broth instead for a richer, deeper flavor.

🔪 How to make Chicken Tetrazzini

Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius) and greasing your casserole dish.

Step 1

In a medium-sized skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. You can use olive oil if you wish. Meanwhile, season the skinless chicken breasts with generous amounts of salt and pepper on both sides. You can use a spice rub if you have it on hand to add extra flavor.

Step 2

Once the oil is hot, place your chicken breasts in the pan and allow them to cook for about 4-5 minutes without moving them. This will give it a nice crust. Flip the chicken pieces over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, place on a plate, and allow it to sit for a few minutes before dicing.

In the meantime, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, but 1 minute less. Drain in a colander and let it sit.

Step 3

In the same skillet, you cooked the breasts with, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add your onions, green pepper and cook for about 4 minutes or until they start to soften.

Step 4

Increase the heat to medium-high, then add your mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 5

Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir until smooth. Slowly add your broth and the half- half, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Increase the heat to medium, then stir for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick.

Step 6

Add white wine, the mushroom mixture, and stir. Toss the cooked chicken breasts in the sauce until completely coated.

Step 7

Pour your spaghetti into the greased baking dish, then the creamy sauce over the top. Tilt the dish to spread evenly.

Step 8

Sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the top, cover, and bake for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

I like to garnish with paprika or fresh parsley before serving to heighten the flavor.

That how easy it is to make chicken tetrazzini!

Pro tip: if your casserole dish is filled to the brim, place a cookie sheet or liner in the oven to catch any spills and avoid hard-to-clean messes.

Any Cheese Goes!

While the traditional way calls for parmesan cheese, you're welcome to use any cheese you like. For great results, I'd recommend fontina, provolone, romano, and mozzarella cheese. These cheeses melt beautifully, are mildly flavored, and will definitely up your cream sauce game.

💭 Tips for the perfect Chicken Tetrazzini

• Want to add more spices or herbs? Do it. Don't like mushrooms? by all means, exclude them. Want it a bit more buttery and cheesy? Just add more!
• Want to add more spices or herbs? Do it. Don't like mushrooms? by all means, exclude them. Want it a bit more buttery and cheesy? Just add more!
• When it comes to white wine, opt for a light-bodied dry white. I prefer oaked chenin blanc, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or viognier.
• Always use low-sodium chicken broth. If possible, make your own homemade broth.
• Undercook the pasta to avoid a mushy baked mess.
• The sauce shouldn't be too thick or thin. Add more broth or wine to maintain a nice consistency.

🙋 Can I make this casserole dish ahead of time?

Absolutely! This chicken tetrazzini recipe comes together in less than an hour, but you can still make it ahead of time if you want to. Simply follow the cooking instructions, then refrigerate without baking or topping with cheese.

Cover the dish tightly with either aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready, proceed with toppings and bake according to the recipe instructions.

🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating

Chicken tetrazzini leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen. If stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, it can last up to 4 days in the fridge.

When frozen, it can stay for up to 2 months.

When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge overnight. To reheat, preheat oven to 350, cover with foil, then bake for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. You can also reheat it on the stove or microwave.

🥗 What to serve with Chicken Tetrazzini

To be honest, chicken tetrazzini is absolutely fantastic on its own. But you can add side dishes to make the meal more appealing. Also, there's nothing wrong with adding extra flavors to the plate, right?

Here are some of my favorites:

Cheesy Garlic Knots - So cheesy, garlicky, and delicious, making it a perfect side for this recipe.

Parma Sticks - will add a crispy twist to your creamy chicken tetrazzini.

Steamed Vegetables - you can never go wrong with steamed vegetables drizzled in garlic oil sauce. This combination is heavenly.

Goat Cheese Salad - this sweet and savory salad adds an interesting, fun twist to this casserole. You'll love it!

🍳 Related Comfort Food Recipes

Try one of these fantastic comfort food recipes for your next meal. For more Italian recipes inspiration I recommend you to try my bruschetta with mozzarella, pizza monkey bread, four cheese manicotti and my stuffed rigatoni!

Looking for a delicious and easy side dish casserole? Try my 30 minutes green bean casserole with homemade crispy onions.

👪 Serving size

So if you're looking for a crowd-pleasing chicken dinner idea for a laid-back weekend or even a busy weeknight, try this scrumptious tetrazzini chicken recipe that serves 6 people.

If you are a pasta fan you must try my delicious chicken and shrimp carbonara olive garden copycat recipe. Super easy to make and it takes even better than the restaurant!

🎥 Video

This hearty and perfectly satisfying chicken tetrazzini is a true definition of classic comfort food. The chicken's deliciousness combined with pasta, mushrooms in a cheesy, buttery, creamy sauce will have your mouth watering for more. Everyone in your family will love this -even the pickiest of eaters!

Check out my fantastic four cheese stuffed manicotti recipe that you can have it on your table in less than 1 hour!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.

Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!

📋 Recipe

Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

This chicken tetrazzini casserole recipe is Italian-American food at its best. It's rich, creamy, and perfectly hearty - this casserole makes a wonderful dinner any time. This recipe can be very versatile, and it's easy to modify, so have fun with it.

4.72 from 7 votes

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Course: Casserole, Dinner, Main Dish, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 561kcal

Author: Ben Rayl

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts
• to taste salt and pepper
• 1 16 ounces package spaghetti
• 6 tablespoons butter
• ½ medium onion - chopped
• 1 green pepper - finely diced
• 1 cup mushrooms - sliced
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup white wine
• ½ cup parmesan cheese - shredded
• for garnish paprika

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to  425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9x13" casserole dish.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Generously salt and pepper the chicken breasts on both sides, then cook until cooked through - about 4 - 5 minutes per side.  Remove to a plate and set aside.
• While the chicken is cooking, heat the water for the pasta and cook for about 1 minute less than package directions.  When cooked, drain in a colander and let sit.
• Return the pan you cooked the chicken in to medium heat, add two tablespoon of butter and allow to melt.  Add the onion and peppers, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium high, add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5 more minutes.
• In a saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat.  Whisk in the flour until smooth, then stir in the half and half and the chicken broth.  Increase the heat to medium, and cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes, then stir in the white wine and mushrooms.
• Cube up the cooked chicken, and stir into the sauce.
• Put the spaghetti noodles into your prepared baking dish, then pour the sauce over the top - shake the dish to even everything out.
• Sprinkle the parmesan over the top and bake for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.  Before serving, sprinkle with paprika.

Video

Notes

• Want to add more spices or herbs? Do it. Don't like mushrooms? by all means, exclude them. Want it a bit more buttery and cheesy? Just add more!
• Want to add more spices or herbs? Do it. Don't like mushrooms? by all means, exclude them. Want it a bit more buttery and cheesy? Just add more!
• When it comes to white wine, opt for a light-bodied dry white. I prefer oaked chenin blanc, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or viognier.
• Always use low-sodium chicken broth. If possible, make your own homemade broth.
• Undercook the pasta to avoid a mushy baked mess.
• The sauce shouldn't be too thick or thin. Add more broth, or wine to maintain a nice consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 547mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 2mg