Chicken Tetrazzini is a creamy, cheesy pasta dish that the whole family will love. Easy to make and freezer friendly, it’s a great casserole to share with friends.
Use up some leftover turkey breast and whip up a dish of this easy, cheesy Turkey Tetrazzini for the holidays!
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
All my children have left the nest, and this recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini is what they always request when they come home.
What is chicken tetrazzini? Delicious comfort food, a great recipe, and easy to make ahead of time too!
I like to have this recipe ready when I need to bring a comforting meal to a family or new mom. I keep it on hand for those occasions. It gets rave reviews, and I even made a video tutorial to show you how to make chicken tetrazzini!
This cheesy, creamy pasta needs to happen in your kitchen. It makes a 13×9-inch pan, but you can split it into two dishes (2qt or 8-inch square) and share it with a neighbor or friend in need!
This pasta bake ALWAYS gets people asking for the recipe, and once you try it, you’ll understand why our family loved it!!
FAVORITE PASTA DINNERS: Penne Rosa | Pizza Stuffed Shells
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken- we love this easy shredded chicken recipe!
- Cream of Chicken Soup- Every instinct is going to make you want to sub for something homemade and from scratch, but this is one of those times that comfort food wins. Here’s our favorite homemade cream of chicken soup though.
- Unsalted butter
- Sour cream– or plain greek yogurt
- Dry white wine– (or chicken broth)
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Spaghetti noodles – can also use any other pasta of choice.
- onions, garlic, and mushrooms optional
How to make Chicken Tetrazzini
- Cook the chicken. You’ll want to start by baking chicken or using leftover turkey, rotisserie chicken, or leftover cooked chicken. When I’m in a rush, I boil chicken breasts in water with salt and pepper to use in this cheesy dish!
- Cook the pasta. Pick your favorite kind of pasta and cook it until al dente.
What is al dente pasta? It just means that the pasta is still slightly firm. Because you will be baking this dish, you don’t want your pasta too soft and mushy!
- Combine Ingredients. While you are cooking pasta and chicken, combine the remaining ingredients in an exceedingly large bowl. Add your hot pasta and your cooked (diced) chicken to the bowl of creamy sauce and mix until blended.
- Assemble and Bake. Pour into a large 13×9 baking dish (or two smaller pans). Bake covered for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Make in Advance: Refrigerate and cover until ready to heat. If cooking from cold, add bake for one hour, then uncovered for 20 minutes. ENJOY.
What to Serve with Chicken Tetrazzini
Chicken Tetrazzini is one of those easy dinner recipes that goes great with any green salad or garlic bread!
- Easy, buttery Beer Bread recipe to serve with dinner! Also great to cube into bite sized pieces and use for dips!
- This delicious Spinach and Bacon Salad is a breeze to prepare! The sweet dressing with the salty bacon keeps you wanting more!
- Looking for a fresh bowl of homemade applesauce for dinner tonight? This Instant Pot Applesauce recipe is super quick and easy!
- Don’t forget to finish the meal with a fresh batch or rice krispie treats!
Storing Leftovers
Store Leftovers- allow tetrazzini to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days, in the refrigeratore.
Freeze Chicken Tetrazzini- Assemble the tetrazzini casserole in a freezer safe dish (foil pans work great for this). Cover with foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake according to recipe below.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Massaman Curry
- Chicken Taco Soup
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Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 16 ounce thin spaghetti cooked (or any of your favorite noodles)
- 2 cups cooked chicken about 1 pound
- ½ cup unsalted butter plus more for buttering pan
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups sour cream
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 cup butter, cooked chicken, soup, sour cream, salt, pepper and white wine. Add cooked noodles.
- Pour into a buttered 13×9. Sprinkle both cheeses on top.
- Bake in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
- May be made in advance and refrigerated (before cooking). However, add time if that is the case to heat thoroughly! Enjoy!
Notes
- Can you freeze Chicken Tetrazzini? Yes! Assemble the chicken tetrazzini casserole in a freezer safe dish. When opting to freeze this dinner, I usually choose a foil pan for freezing. Cover with foil and freeze for up to two months.To serve, thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake accordingly.
- Can I make tetrazzini with or without mushrooms? Absolutely. Leave out the mushrooms or add in extra depending on your taste buds. You can also add in fresh cut broccoli florets!
- Can Chicken Tetrazzini be made ahead of time? Yes. Before baking, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.When ready to bake, remove from fridge and add 10-15 minutes baking time.
- See blog post for more recipe tips, tricks, and ingredient substitutions.
Video
Nutrition
Easy Dinner Recipes
Creamy baked Chicken Tetrazzini recipe is the best weeknight dinner recipe your family will love! Easy and delicious.
Should that be 2 cups not 2 tbs of parmesan cheese
No, it’s only 2 Tbsp. There is already 2 cup of mozzarella. ENJOY!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was FABULOUS! I didn’t have Parmesan cheese, but it still tasted wonderful and I will make it again! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
What a great recipe base! I changed it just a little bit…hope you don’t mind! I used my Dutch oven to sautee some onions and garlic in the butter. Then, I added everything else to the pot, including an addition of 2 bunches of broccoli. Then I popped the while thing in the oven. It smells delicious and I can’t wait to eat it!
Of course I don’t mind. I love to hear how people use my recipes as inspiration! And your additions sounds delicious!
Made this for dinner tonight. It was very good. I did tweak it just a bit. I added some frozen peas, sliced mushrooms and garlic. We all loved it. I will half this for next time. It is a lot of food for just 3 people. But it is delish. Thanks for sharing.
Your additions sound wonderful 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this!
Peggy…can u share how much of those things u added?
I’m not big on measuring. I would say maybe a cup of frozen sweet peas. About 12 -15 button mushrooms sliced and a sprinkle of granulated garlic. Sprinkle = about 1/2 teaspoon. Just add some and taste it. If you like it, go with it. If not, add a little more. I just play with things, but, I think these are pretty close.
Cooked for dinner tonight and absolutely love this dish! Easy to pull together and will have to keep this for my go-to for any occasion. Thanks for sharing!!
So happy to hear it. It’s truly a family favorite around here!!
This looks amazing! I use this recipe for cream of whatever soups and I love it! http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2011/05/04/cream-of-chicken-soup-substitute/
I made for supper other nite and was amazing !!! Thanks gor sharing recipe
Just curious how did you cook you’re chicken breasts?? 🙂
Sometimes I bake extra chicken on the weekends, to keep on hand for recipes like this or salad. Sometimes I use my Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker to microwave chicken. Sometimes I just boil the chicken until tender. And other times I cheat and use a rotisserie chicken 🙂
Hi! Im making this tonight. Do you think it would be good with some kale thrown in??
I am not a huge fan of cream of anything soups…is there a substitute I can use?
Same question – how would you make it without the cream soup?
I only make it with the cream soup. Sorry!!
INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup milk (I used 1%) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper DIRECTIONS In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in chicken broth, then milk. Whisk until it begins to thicken. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Recipe: http://centercutcook.com/cream-soup-substitute/
Yum, I am trying this recipe tonight. What spices/herbs do you have sprinkled on top of the chicken tetrazzini in your picture?
I just added a little dried parsley when it came out of the oven. Just for a touch of color 🙂
Looks amazing! Do you think substituting Greek yogurt for the sour cream would work?
Super silly question: when you mix the butter with the chicken, soup, sour cream, wine, s&p, is the butter melted? Chopped/chunked so it melts when you bake it? Left whole in stick form? My mind says it should be melted before combining it with everything, but the instructions are unclear.
When I toss it into a bowl, the hot noodles and chicken melt the butter. There still may be small clumps, which when cooked they melt down. Hope that helps, sorry for the confusion!!! ENJOY.
Thanks for the butter info! 🙂
That was my question as well…thank you!!!
ah dang, I melted it. Its in the oven now and smelling delish. Hope it turns out!
when do you add the spaghetti? 🙂
“add cooked noodles”
Ahh, okay! Mmm, butter makes everything better. 😉
Tara, it’s for mixing in! It becomes all creamy…mmmmmm
Hi Aimee, is the 1/2 cup of butter just used for buttering the pan, or should it be mixed into the pasta, sour cream, etc.?
Cajun- I have frozen it in a foil pan with heavy duty foil on top (freeze before cooking). Then thaw out in refrigerator (I do it on counter, but the meat is already cooked). Bake normally. I usually fold in a cup of extra cheese (normally you would just put it on top), so that it’s not dry. It’s awesome!
Do you think this would freeze well?
trust me, this is good. I once lived at their house and ate these leftovers for a week straight because no one else would. Wow, that doesnt’ sound like it was good. I guess they didn’t eat them because Aimee made something fantastic every night for dinner.