Chicken Tetrazzini is an easy make ahead dinner that is full of comfort. Made with a creamy delicious sauce and baked with spaghetti and chicken, your family will devour this classic dinner.
In the never ending quest to find recipes that my family can come together around the table and enjoy, I have a delicious casserole for you. This Chicken Tetrazzini is always a big hit with my whole family.
This recipe is easy to follow, and results in a creamy noodle casserole. Big warm bowls of this chicken tetrazzini casserole are bite after bite of comfort.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can prepare the whole thing the night before and then put it in the oven when you get home from work. You could even freeze this noodle dish and pull it out during the middle of a busy week.
I made this last week for dinner and it was INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you for this recipe, it will be made again and again at our house!
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
While this is an easy recipe, it does involve a few moving pieces, so I suggest reading this brief overview. Get the full ingredients and instructions at the bottom of the post.
- Boil the spaghetti. Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil and add salt. Add the pasta, and drain it 2 minutes earlier than is suggested on the box.
- Make the sauce. Start by sauteing the mushrooms in butter. Then you will be adding flour and to create a roux. (Read more about rouxs below.) Finally you will add in chicken stock, milk, and spices.
- Finish off the sauce. After simmering for 5 minutes add cheese and sour cream.
- Combine the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together in the casserole dish, top with more cheese and then bake for 30 minutes.
Making a Roux
I use rouxs in a lot of my recipes. It is such a great kitchen skill to have learn and practice. A roux is a thickening agent made from flour and fat. It is the back bone of cream sauces. The fat coats the flour, suspending it in the sauce and prevents the sauce from separating when it is hit with high heat on the stovetop or in the oven.
In this recipe we combine the butter we used to sauté the mushrooms with flour. Then we add chicken stock and milk slowly at first (about two tablespoons at a time) and then more quickly. This results in a rich and creamy sauce.
It is the same technique used in my Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, which can be used as a substitute here. If you want to use store-bought canned soup instead to speed things up, you will want to leave out the butter, mushrooms, flour, chicken stock, and milk. (I recommend still using the seasonings.) Replace them with two 10 ounce cans.
Keeping Cooked Chicken on Hand
One of my favorite hacks is to keep cooked shredded chicken in my freezer. It is a lifesaver for dishes like this or my Chicken Noodle Casserole. Follow the steps below and you can always have chicken on hand.
How to Cook Chicken
- Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in a saucepan and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 4 to 7 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 Fahrenheit.
Freezing Shredded Chicken
You can always have chicken on hand by freezing it after cooking it. This works great with the above method, and also with a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Add the shredded chicken in a single layer and freeze for one hour.
- Break up and put in a ziplock bag, putting it back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Using this method, it will be easy to pull out just a few cups of chicken at a time. The chicken thaws in the refrigerator overnight before using, or quickly on the counter top. I have even thrown it into soups straight from the freezer.
Freezing Cooked Chicken
Using Other Noodles
You will notice that in my Turkey Tetrazzini we use egg noodles. For this one I decided to go with spaghetti. You really can use any noodle you like.
Just make sure that you cook for 2 minutes less than is listed on the package, as the noodles will continue cooking in the casserole.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat in the oven in a covered dish for 40 minutes, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You may need to add some milk or chicken stock so that it doesn’t dry out.
Making Ahead
My recipe for chicken tetrazzini is great to prepare the night before. Just wrap it in aluminum foil and put it right in the preheated oven when you are ready to eat. It will take a few extra minutes (5 to 10) to cook, but will be delicious. Store the uncooked recipe in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
Freezing Chicken Tetrazzini
This is also a great recipe to make and stick in your freezer for a busy day. Here are a few tips:
- Make the recipe in a disposable casserole dish to avoid it breaking when it goes from the freezer to the hot oven.
- Make the recipe as directed, stopping before you put it in the oven.
- Wrap it three times with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
- Store it in the freezer for up to three months.
- Unwrap before baking.
- Bake right from frozen at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and golden brown.
What to Serve with Chicken Tetrazzini
Here are a few recipes that would go great with this delicious casserole.
- My roasted broccoli is a great way to add in some vegetables to this recipe.
- A simple chopped salad is fantastic to go with a pasta dish.
- I adore this creamed spinach recipe and its a great way to add some veggies to dinner.
If you make this easy Chicken Tetrazzini recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked spaghetti (453.6 grams)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (113 grams)
- 16 ounces mushrooms chopped small (453.6 grams)
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (40 grams)
- 2 cups chicken stock (453.5 grams or 473.2 ml)
- 1 1/4 cup milk (283.75 grams or 295.7 ml)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sour cream (227 grams)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese divided (226 grams)
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded and cut into bite sized pieces (read all my tips and tricks for keeping chicken on hand) (141.7 grams)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan shredded (25 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt). Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instrucitons.16 ounces uncooked spaghetti
- While the spaghetti is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are soft, about 4 to 6 minutes.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 16 ounces mushrooms
- Whisk in the flour and then very slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Add just a few tablespoons at a time, whisking to combine it, until it is completely added. The more you add the more quickly you can go. The whole process should take about a minute or two.1/3 cup all purpose flour, 2 cups chicken stock
- Whisk in the milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.1 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Bring to a simmer, and then cook, stirring often, over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and 1 cup mozzarella, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.1 cup sour cream, 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- Add cooked spaghetti and chicken to the prepared baking dish. Stir in the sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.2 cups cooked chicken, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Ron Alphin says
I used to make a version of this, long ago. But l used only turkey breast to “escape” from the chicken routine. In addition to the mushrooms, l also sautéed onion, celery, and garlic. Occasionally, l also included green peas for color and vegetables, making this a one-dish meal.
serena says
This was THE BEST meal I have ever had! Thank you for sharing Lisa!
I’m so glad you liked it!
Cydney says
Thanks for providing a recipe with real ingredients… not just cans of condensed soups. It’s in the oven right now. The smell is heavenly.
I hope you enjoyed every bite!
Janice U says
I made this, halved, and it made enough for 4 people. Followed recipe, using Costco rotisserie chicken, to the the letter except I added some frozen peas. Sauce is delicious, better than taking the cream soup route which many recipes call for. I will definitely be making this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Vickie Hutka says
I tried your recipe and it was every bit as good as you said it was! Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this!
Earl Ann Bumpus says
It’s in the oven right now!!! Could have eaten it before baked! This is different from other chicken tet recipes and we like this much better! Maybe it’s the types of cheese… others has used Velveeta, but I don’t use Velveeta anymore. At the last minute I added some spinach to it! Yumm!!!
I’m so happy that you loved it!
Linda says
I added about a quarter cup sherry to sauce. I needed to because I used homemade stock which I did not chill to take the fat off. So tasted a bit oily. Sherry cut that. So good!
I’m glad that you enjoyed it!
Sandie says
Hi I love your recipes. How do I find the nutritional information. I’ve tried hitting the arrow both up and down, neither provide any information. What am I doing incorrectly?
I apologize. It is in there now. Some of our older recipes just don’t have it in there and it still needs to be added. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!