Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (2024)

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This Chicken Tetrazzini is one of my favorite pasta bakes that combines chicken, noodles, and a flavorful creamy sauce! It’s creamy, cheesy, and satisfying, making it a family favorite. Plus, it can be made ahead of time so busy weeknights are a little less busy.

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (1)

This delicious chicken tetrazzini is my go-to dinner recipe as it’s all made in one pan. Rich and comforting, this is a classic casserole that the whole family loves. You really can’t beat chicken, pasta, and cheese!

If you need another easy weeknight recipe that features pasta, then you have to try my Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta and Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta. They’re so easy to make and are packed with flavor. They’ll definitely be a hit with your family!

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Chicken Tetrazzini
  • What You’ll Need
  • How To Make Chicken Tetrazzini
  • Tips and Notes
  • FAQs
  • More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
  • Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Tetrazzini

  • One-pan recipe. The fewer dishes to do on a weeknight, the better!
  • It’s versatile. You can use pre-cooked chicken, change the vegetables, and essentially make it how you’d like. It’s one of my favorite recipes for when there are leftovers in the fridge that I want to use up.
  • Family favorite. This is 100% a family favorite thanks to the cheese. I mean, who doesn’t love cheese? The kids practically lick their plates clean.

What You’ll Need

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (2)
  • Chicken tenderloins: you can also cube chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
  • Salt and pepper: to season the chicken.
  • Olive oil: you can use canola oil as well.
  • Mozzarella: I use shredded mozzarella. You can use a different cheese if you’re not a fan of mozzarella.
  • Green peas: feel free to use frozen or fresh peas.
  • Spaghetti pasta: you can use a different long pasta if you’re out of spaghetti.
  • Cream sauce: for the cream sauce, you’ll need onion, flour, olive oil, butter, baby mushroom, garlic, half and half, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.

How To Make Chicken Tetrazzini

  • Preheat: Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Cook the pasta: Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions.
  • Prepare the ingredients: Mince onion, and cube the chicken.
  • Cook the chicken: Bring a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tsps. of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add into the skillet. Cook the chicken until golden brown in color, then remove from skillet and set them in a bowl. Cover with aluminum foil wrap.
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (3)
  • Prepare the sauce: In the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onion until translucent in color. Add in the sliced mushroom, garlic and continue sautéing for another 2-3 minutes. Add in the black pepper, salt, and flour and combine fully. Add in the half and half milk, chicken broth and mix well. Bring to simmer until the sauce thickens up.
  • Add the other ingredients: Add in the cooked pasta, cooked chicken, green peas, and mix everything together to coat with the sauce.
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  • Top with cheese and bake: Top the dish with some mozzarella cheese. You can add as much as you want. Baked in the oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese has obtained nice brown blisters. Remove from the oven, top with some fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (5)

Tips and Notes

  • If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, just cook the first part in a normal skillet and transfer the content to a baking dish before finishing it off in the oven.
  • Want to save time? You can shred a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken tenderloin.
  • The cream sauce should not be very thick as it thickens more when cheese is added and again when baked. If it’s too thick to start, the sauce might not be very pleasant after baking.
  • Don’t have chicken? Feel free to use turkey!
  • Make this spicy with the addition of red chili flakes or cayenne powder.
  • Finish the creamy pasta with a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley, fresh oregano or thinly sliced basil leaves.
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (6)

FAQs

What is Chicken Tetrazzini?

Chicken Tetrazzini is a pasta casserole made with diced up chicken or turkey, fresh mushrooms, and a buttery, cream based sauce. Others may add a few veggie additions like green peas or pieces of green beans.

Can Chicken Tetrazzini be made ahead of time?

This chicken tetrazzini can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead of time and baked before serving. Combine everything and set it aside in the fridge. When ready to bake, remove the chicken tetrazzini from the fridge and adjust the cooking time by 15 minutes extra.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. If you want to store leftover in the freezer, place in a freezer safe container or aluminum tray wrapped well with plastic and aluminum foil wrap, and simple thaw overnight and reheat in the oven.

Can you freeze chicken Tetrazzini?

I personally don’t like freezing meals, but you can prep according to the recipe directions and transfer to a freezer and oven safe dish, cover tightly in plastic wrap and then with foil wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake accordingly.

What are some side dishes that go well with chicken tetrazzini?

Here are some of my favorite side dishes to serve for dinner:
Easy Hawaiian Rolls
Cheesy Broccoli Bites
Cheesy Pesto Breadsticks
Roasted Garlic Bread

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (7)

More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

  • Cherry Tomato Pesto Pasta
  • Creamy Chicken Tortellini Pasta
  • Chicken Avocado Pasta Salad
  • Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
  • Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Chicken Tetrazzini recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!

If you try this recipe and liked it, please leave a star rating and comment below. Use my hashtag to share it with me on INSTAGRAM So I can see your delicious recreations! Also, follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on FACEBOOK |INSTAGRAM |PINTEREST for all of my latest social posts and recipes.

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Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

By: Mariam Ezzeddine

This Chicken Tetrazzini is one of my favorite pasta bakes that combines chicken, noodles, and a flavorful creamy sauce! It’s creamy, cheesy, and satisfying, making it a family favorite. Plus, it can be made ahead of time so busy weeknights are a little less busy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb. chicken tenderloins, cubed
  • ½ tsp. salt, to season the chicken
  • 2 tsps. olive oil, light tasting or canola
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper, fresh cracked
  • cup mozzarella, to season the chicken
  • 1 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
  • 8 oz. spaghetti pasta
  • fresh chopped parsley, for garnishing

Creamy Sauce

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 tbsps. olive oil, light tasting or canola
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 tsp. black pepper, fresh cracked
  • 10 oz. baby mushroom, fresh, sliced
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • cup half and half
  • cup chicken broth
  • ¾ tsp. salt, more or less to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.

  • Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.

  • Mince onion, and cube the chicken.

  • Bring a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tsps. of oil.

  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper (½ tsp. each) and add into the skillet.

  • Cook the chicken until golden brown in color, then remove from skillet and set them in a bowl. Cover with aluminum foil wrap.

  • In the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onion until translucent in color.

  • Add in the sliced mushroom, garlic and continue sautéing for another 2-3 minutes until the mushroom is soft.

  • Add in the black pepper, salt, and flour. Mix together to blend very well.

  • Add in the half and half milk, chicken broth and mix well. Bring to simmer until the sauce thickens up.

  • Add in the cooked pasta, cooked chicken, green peas and mix everything together to coat with the sauce.

  • Top the dish with some mozzarella cheese. You can add as much as you want.

  • Baked in the oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese has obtained nice brown blisters.

  • Remove from the oven, top with some fresh chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

  • This dish makes 4 large servings.
  • If you don’t have an oven safe skillet, just cook the first part in a normal skillet and transfer the content to a baking dish before finishing it off in the oven.
  • Want to save time? You can shred a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken tenderloin.
  • The cream sauce should not be very thick as it thickens more when cheese is added and again when baked. If it’s too thick to start, the sauce might not be very pleasant after baking.
  • Don’t have chicken? Feel free to use turkey!
  • Make this spicy with the addition of red chili flakes or cayenne powder.
  • Finish the creamy pasta with a generous sprinkle of chopped parsley, fresh oregano or thinly sliced basil leaves.

Nutrition

Calories: 914kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 201mg | Sodium: 1127mg | Potassium: 1413mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1243IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 355mg | Iron: 3mg

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Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken tetrazzini sauce made of? ›

Here's what you need to make the cream sauce for Chicken Tetrazzini: butter, flour, chicken broth/stock, milk, cream and cheese.

What makes Tetrazzini? ›

Tetrazzini is an Italian-American dish made with diced poultry or seafood and in a butter, cream or milk and cheese sauce flavored with sherry or white wine, and combined with linguine, spaghetti, egg noodles, or other types of pasta, sometimes topped with breadcrumbs or cheese, and garnished with parsley or basil.

What country is chicken Tetrazzini from? ›

Chicken Tetrazzini is an American dish. It's unclear which chef, but a chef, created it in honor of Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini when she debuted as Gilda in Rigoletto in San Francisco in 1905.

What is pasta tomato sauce made of? ›

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Mix in sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 1 ½ hours. Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy!

What is Rooster sauce made of? ›

Today, the bottle lists the ingredients as: "chili, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite and xanthan gum". Huy Fong Foods' chili sauces are made from fresh, red, jalapeño chili peppers and contain no added water or artificial colors. Garlic powder is used rather than fresh garlic.

Who invented tetrazzini? ›

The book San Francisco: A Food Biography does a deep-dive into the history of the dish, noting that the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, helmed by Chef Ernest Arbogast in 1905, is the person who was so inspired by Luisa Tetrazzini that he created the dish and named it after her.

What country is Cacciatore from? ›

This dish has a rich history that dates back to the Renaissance period in Italy, though its exact origins have been passed on through folklore stories and tradition. The term "cacciatora" refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with ingredients that a hunter might have had readily available.

What is sauce made of? ›

Sauces are the melding of ingredients, including stocks, wine, aromatics, herbs, and dairy, into a harmonious taste. Most small sauces are based on the principle of reduction, cooking down various liquids with aromatics, wine, and herbs to meld, concentrate, and balance the flavor and consistency.

What is white pasta sauce made of? ›

White Sauce Pasta is simply cooked pasta mixed with a silky smooth & decadent white sauce made of milk, butter and flour. White Sauce also known as Bechamel Sauce has its origin from the Italian & French Cuisines. In classic culinary terms, this is what is known as a mother sauce.

What's Big Mac sauce made of? ›

Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Sweet Relish (diced Pickles, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Corn Syrup, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Chloride, Spice Extractives), Water, Egg Yolks, Distilled Vinegar, Spices, Onion Powder, Salt, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Garlic Powder, Vegetable Protein (hydrolyzed Corn, ...

What is traditional pasta sauce made of? ›

A classic pasta sauce crafted with vine-ripened tomatoes and well-storied passion. Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Salt, Olive Oil, Sugar, Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Garlic, Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder.

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