Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

Cheesy chicken tetrazzini is a creamy, chicken pasta dish, baked until golden brown. Make this recipe for a delicious comfort food dinner.

It’s easy to make a delicious meal without having to make everything from scratch.

This pasta dish combines rotisserie chicken and cooked spaghetti with a sauce made from condensed soups and pantry staples. As a result, you save time without sacrificing flavor.

Once you try it, it’s sure to become one of those recipes that the whole family asks for again and again.

What is chicken tetrazzini?

This delicious casserole features chicken and mushrooms in a rich cream sauce. Most often, it is either served over spaghetti noodles or baked in a casserole with the noodles.

Some variations include a topping of nuts, fried onions, corn flakes, or breadcrumbs.

It’s believed that the dish is named after famous Italian opera star, Luisa Tetrazzini. The recipe creator was a chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where the opera singer made her American debut.

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Note: This is just a partial list of ingredients. For the full ingredient list, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Chicken breasts – I like to use the meat from a rotisserie chicken, but feel free to cook a couple boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. You could even use thighs if you prefer darker meat.
• Pasta – Spaghetti or linguni is most common, but a shorter pasta like rotini might make it easier for small children to eat.
• Dry sherry – Use either a cooking wine or drinking wine, as the flavors are similar enough for this dish. However, drinking sherry is a better option if you want to reduce salt intake.
• Cream of mushroom soup – This ultimate chicken tetrazzin uses canned soups to save time, but you could also use my homemade recipe instead.
• Mozzarella – Always buy fresh and shred your own, as bagged shreds have a preservative that prevents them from melting properly.

Watch how to make Chicken Tetrazzini below!

How to make cheesy chicken tetrazzini

Just combine all of the ingredients together and bake until bubbly and golden brown!

NOTE: When making this ultimate chicken tetrazzini, it may appear that there is too much sauce. However, as the casserole bakes, the pasta will absorb the excess sauce.

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep the chicken and pasta

1. Boil the spaghetti until al dente, then drain and toss with olive oil. The oil helps to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
2. While the pasta is cooking, slice the breasts off of the rotisserie chicken. Remove and discard the skin, then chop the breast meat into bite-sized pieces.

Make the sauce

1. Next, add the sauce ingredients to a large bowl and use a large spoon to combine them.
2. Add the chicken and cooked pasta to the bowl of sauce, then gently toss everything together.

Combine and bake

1. Transfer the ingredients into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
2. Use a spatula to spread the mixture into an even layer, then sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned.

Recipe notes

• Storage – Keep covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
• Freezing – Allow the casserole to cool before covering in foil and placing in the freezer. Or, you can portion it into smaller airtight containers for individual meals. The day before you want to serve it, transfer the containers to the refrigerator to thaw.  and add a splash of milk when reheating to add moisture.
• Reheating – Heat in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through. You could even stir it around in a pan on the stove if you’d prefer.

What to serve with chicken tetrazzini 

This is a rich, filling dish, so keep your sides simple. Garlic bread or dinner rolls along with a salad or roasted vegetables is all you need to make this a complete meal!

Other Casserole Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Tuscan Chicken Pasta – Sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and three different cheeses are in this chicken pasta dish that gets baked to a bubbly, golden brown.
• Scratch Made Chicken Divan – This is not your mother’s Chicken Divan! Instead, this is an updated, slimmed down versions that still packs in the flavor. No canned soups and only half the butter of other versions.
• Chili Mac and Cheese Casserole – Classic American comfort food goes a step further with the addition of Mexican influenced ground beef and a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
• Beef Marsala and Scalloped Potato Casserole – Browned ground beef and a delicious marsala wine sauce are layered with cheddar cheese and tender scalloped potatoes.
• Ranch Chicken and Rice – Chopped chicken is marinated in ranch dressing and added to rice, vegetables, and chicken broth. Then, it’s topped with two different cheeses and crispy bacon before being baked. This comfort food meal feeds a crowd!

This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking January 2019 and has since been updated.

Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

Cheesy chicken tetrazzini is a creamy, chicken pasta dish, baked until golden brown. Make this recipe for a tasty, comfort food meal.

3.59 from 55 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: American, Western

Keyword: cheesy chicken tetrazzini, chicken, chicken casserole

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 451kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast, cooked and chopped (See Note 1)
• 16 oz spaghetti or linguini
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 cup sour cream
• 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
• 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook pasta in heavily salted water for 10 minutes. Drain, do not rinse, and toss with some olive oil. Set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together the garlic powder, sherry, sour cream, cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups and chicken broth until well combined. Gently mix in the chopped chicken and cooked spaghetti, tossing to coat.
• Pour evenly into a greased 13x9" pan coated in cooking spray or olive oil and sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheeses evenly on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

1. I like to use 2 rotisserie chicken breasts. Remove skin and chop breast meat into bite size pieces.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 936mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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