Chicken Tetrazzini has retro flair in the best possible way! A baked pasta casserole with spaghetti, tender chicken, and mushrooms bathed in a creamy sauce, this easy recipe is a modern twist on an old favorite.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
- Comfort Food Fave. Chicken tetrazzini is a recipe so many of us know, love, and grew up eating. Like Hashbrown Casserole and Chili Mac and Cheese, it’ll give you a warm, fuzzy nostalgic feeling. Retro Chicken Marbella also gives you that old-made-new feeling!
- No Cream of Mushroom Soup. No cream of anything soup, in fact! Standing in for the canned soup are cream cheese and plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream), which deliver an even creamier, richer consistency.
- ALL the Flavor. Like the Turkey Tetrazzini this recipe is adapted from, this chicken tetrazzini has an amped up flavor profile thanks to the addition of umami Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Great for Using Leftovers. Sometimes I intentionally make extra shredded chicken for chicken tetrazzini, but other times, I’ve got unexpected leftover Instant Pot Chicken or Crock Pot Chicken in the fridge. Any cooked chicken will work here!
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
The Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Spaghetti. Using whole wheat noodles sneaks in a little extra nutrition.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Drain and pat dry oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. For dry-packed, cover with hot water until they plump a bit and soften, then drain and pat dry.
- Yellow Onion and Garlic. These form a savory base of flavor for our chicken tetrazzini.
- Sliced Mushrooms. I like to use baby bella (also known as cremini) mushrooms because they’re more flavorful than white button.
- Vinegar. Use red wine, white wine, or champagne vinegar. The acidity enhances the flavor of the casserole.
- Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth. While an old-fashioned chicken tetrazzini recipe is laden with sodium, using a lower salt broth lets you control the sodium level by seasoning the dish yourself.
- Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese. Also known as Neufchatel. This creates a luxuriously creamy sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce. Hello, umami flavor bomb!
- Smoked Paprika. Why use regular paprika when you can use smoked paprika? This adds the earthy flavor of paprika, with a hit of smokiness.
- Chicken. Cook and shred yourself, or to make it even easier, rotisserie chicken works too.
- Frozen Peas and Carrots. Or frozen mixed vegetables, or a single vegetable if you’re serving picky eaters.
- Cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for its sharp, pungent flavor, plus shredded Provolone, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack cheese for the melt factor.
- Whole-Milk Plain Greek Yogurt. One of my favorite tricks for a creamy sauce, as seen in Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese. Low-fat sour cream would also work.
- Panko Breadcrumbs. Essential for that signature golden brown, crispy topping. Homemade breadcrumbs work too, but don’t use the sawdust-like store-bought breadcrumbs—they just won’t cut it.
The Directions
- Get Started. Cook the pasta and sweat the onion until it softens.
- Cook the Mushrooms. Increase the heat and sauté until they release their liquid.
- Add the Flour. Stir in the garlic and vinegar, then sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir again. Stream the broth into the pot while stirring, then cook until the sauce reduces by one-third.
- Make It Creamy. Remove from heat; stir in the cream cheese, Worcestershire, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Add More Ingredients. Fold in the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, vegetables, and cheeses, then stir in the yogurt.
- Add the Pasta. Stir in the cooked spaghetti and additional broth, if needed.
- Bake. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle panko on top. Bake chicken tetrazzini for 25 minutes, then broil to brown the top, if desired. Rest a few minutes before serving, then ENJOY!
What to Serve with Chicken Tetrazzini
- Bread. If you like spaghetti with garlic bread, then you’ll love chicken tetrazzini with Homemade Dinner Rolls.
- Salad. For a lighter pairing, try this Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad or Creamy Cucumber Salad.
- Air Fryer Vegetables. Your oven will be occupied, so make Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts or Air Fryer Cauliflower.
- Stovetop Vegetables. No air fryer? Try Sautéed Broccoli or Sautéed Green Beans.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Grate Your Own Cheese. Freshly grated cheese melts smoother and creamier than the store-bought shreds, which have anti-caking agents added to them. It’s absolutely worth it!
- Cook the Spaghetti to Almost Al Dente. Nope, not al dente! A step below al dente. As with other baked pasta casseroles like Chicken Alfredo Bake, as the chicken tetrazzini bakes, it will absorb some of the liquid from the sauce and cook further. If the pasta noodles are fully cooked, it will end up bloated.
- Add More Broth If You Need To. Once you add the pasta to the pot, the mixture should be soupy, not thick and creamy. If it’s thick, add more broth. This will keep your chicken tetrazzini from baking up dry.
Chicken Tetrazzini
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
This easy chicken tetrazzini is the ultimate creamy, cheesy pasta bake recipe. With mushrooms, spaghetti and veggies, it's hearty and delish!
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole wheat spaghetti or similar long, thin noodles
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes* chopped
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces sliced mushrooms I prefer baby bellas
- 1 teaspoon red wine, white wine, or champagne vinegar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 to 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 10 ounces frozen peas and carrots or frozen mixed vegetables
- ⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅔ cup shredded Provolone cheese or mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 or similarly sized baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Break the pasta noodles in half. Cook in salted water according to package instructions until it is just below al dente (it should not be completely crunchy but should still be too chewy to eat; the pasta will cook more in the oven). Drain and set aside.
- Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside to rehydrate (if using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you can skip this step; simply drain them and pat off excess oil).
- In a Dutch oven or similar large, deep pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes; adjust the heat as needed so that the onion cooks but does not brown.
- Add the mushrooms then increase to medium-high heat. Sauté until the mushrooms begin to soften and give up their liquid, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and vinegar and let cook 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the top, then stir to coat. Continue cooking and stirring periodically for 2 minutes. No white bits of white flour should remain.
- Slowly pour in 3 cups of the broth, stirring all the while to avoid any lumps. Bring to a gentle boil and let cook, stirring often to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the mixture is reduced by about one-third, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the diced cream cheese, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cream cheese is mostly melted (a few bits may remain, which is fine).
- Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, vegetables, Provolone cheese, and Parmesan cheese, until the cheese is melted. Then stir in the Greek yogurt. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and stir it to combine. If it looks super thick, add more of the remaining 1 cup broth as needed. It should look a little bit soupy, as some of the liquid will cook off in the oven.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the Panko over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tetrazzini is hot and bubbly. If you’d like to brown the topping further, place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully so that it does not burn. Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Adapted from my Turkey Tetrazzini
- *If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drain them and pat away excess oil; if using dry-packed, cover them with hot water for a few minutes to soften, then drain and pat dry.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover chicken tetrazzini in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat leftovers in a covered baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze tetrazzini in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8)Calories: 524kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 35gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 74mgPotassium: 903mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3932IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 279mgIron: 5mg
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These chicken casseroles are a complete meal in a single dish!
One of my go-to meals. It is a little time consuming but it was worth it and I prepare this early in the day so at dinnertime I can just pop it in the oven. I made it with leftover chicken from last night! Was out of panko and used regular bread crumbs instead. I always add extra peas and mushrooms. This was really good. Thank you!
Yay! Thank you Tanya!
My husband thought this was amazing and thinks it is one of the best dinners I have ever made. The only thing I did differently from the recipe is I left out the mushrooms since he doesn’t like cooked mushrooms. And I used a Costco rotisserie chicken. I think that was awesome.
Yay! Thank you Katrina!
Finally! A dish that the whole family loved. Usually when I make something new, there’s always one person that doesn’t like it, but everyone loves this. It’s not a quick dish to make, but the effort is worth it.
Yay! Thank you Helen!
Wow this was so good! Great left overs too! It took longer than 15 minutes to prep but is worth it. I made it in the morning then popped it in the oven for dinner.
Thank you Korina!