Chicken tetrazzini is a classic comfort food made with cooked chicken, mushrooms, spaghetti, and a creamy sauce baked into a satisfying casserole. It's a practical way to use leftover chicken, whether from a home-roasted bird or a store-bought rotisserie, and it's a dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients you'll need
Chicken - Made with cooked chicken. Leftovers from a roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, or barbecue all work well. You can also use poached chicken, which takes about 20 minutes to cook.
Dairy - Butter, sour cream, mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella), and Parmesan cheese.
Produce - Mushrooms are the only fresh produce needed. Frozen peas are used for convenience.
Pantry - This dish uses a mix of fresh and convenience ingredients, including condensed cream of chicken soup, canned chicken broth, and spaghetti.
Spices and Herbs - Garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper add flavor with minimal effort. Chopped parsley makes a nice optional garnish.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make chicken tetrazzini
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat (we use a 6-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven). Add the mushrooms and cook for 7-8 minutes until they soften.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir well.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low to low, cover and cook gently while you cook the pasta.
- Cook the pasta to package directions for al dente. Drain well and set aside.
- Add the sour cream to the sauce and stir until smooth.
- Add the chicken, spaghetti, and peas to the sauce, stir to combine. Next, stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.
- Add the chicken tetrazzini to a large baking dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the mixture is hot and bubbly around the edges.
Remove the foil, top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon parmesan. Bake, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with a little chopped parsley, if desired. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe tips and notes
- Cook the pasta just to al dente so it holds its shape and doesn't get mushy in the sauce.
- Once the sour cream is added, do not let the sauce simmer or boil.
- If you're sensitive to salt, use low-sodium ingredients when possible, such as unsalted butter, low-sodium cream of chicken soup, reduced-sodium broth, and cheese.
- Start a large pot of water over medium to medium-high heat before making the sauce so it's ready when needed.
- If the baking dish is filled to the top, place it on a baking sheet to catch any bubbles and prevent a mess in the oven.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Let the dish cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating
Microwave: Transfer a portion to a microwave-safe dish and cover loosely with a paper towel or microwave cover. Heat in short intervals, stirring if possible, until heated through.
Oven: Place leftovers in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil. Reheat at 325°F until hot all the way through. Add a small splash of broth or milk if the pasta seems dry.
Food Safety: According to USDA recommendations, do not leave cooked food out for longer than two hours, or for more than one hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to try our turkey tetrazzini, which is a great way to use leftover turkey. You might also enjoy some of our other baked pasta and casserole-style dinners, like baked ziti with sausage or crowd-pleasing baked spaghetti.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 8 ounces Mushrooms sliced
- 2 (10 ounce) cans Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 pound Cooked Chicken boneless, skinless and shredded or chopped
- 1 cup Frozen Peas cooked to about half of the package directions (cook just enough to defrost)
- 12 ounces Spaghetti cooked to package directions for al dente
- 1½ cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese divided (1 cup to stir in the sauce and ½ cup for the top)
- 3 tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese divided (2 tablespoons to stir in the sauce and 1 tablespoon to sprinkle on top)
- 1 teaspoon Chopped Parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water on medium to medium-high heat to get it going for the pasta later.
- Prepare the peas by cooking them to package directions but use about half the suggested time. Cook them just enough to defrost. Set them aside to use later.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. When it is melted and foamy, add the mushrooms. Cook for 7-8 minutes until they soften and some of the liquid has cooked out, stir occasionally.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir well until the ingredients are combined and the sauce is smooth.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, when the sauce comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low to low and cover the pot. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer and stir it occasionally to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom.
- Raise the heat on the pasta water (if it not boiling already). Drop the pasta and cook it to package directions for al dente. Remember to salt the water generously. Drain well and set it aside for a moment.
- Add the sour cream to the sauce and stir until smooth.
Bring the chicken tetrazzini together
- Add the chicken, spaghetti, and peas to the sauce, stir to combine. Next, stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.
- Add the chicken tetrazzini to a large baking dish (approximately 2.5 to 3 quarts) and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the mixture is hot and bubbly around the edges.
- Remove the aluminum foil, top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon parmesan. Bake, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with a little chopped parsley, if desired. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Try not to overcook the pasta so it doesn't get mushy in the sauce and holds its shape. Cook it just to al dente.
- Don't let the sauce come to a simmer or boil once the sour cream has been added.
- If you are sensitive to salt use low-sodium products where possible. Unsalted butter, low sodium cream of chicken soup, reduced sodium broth, cheese, etc. are all good options.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Victoria
Very good, great flavor the family loved it, will definitely be making it again.
Elizabeth
Hi Victoria,
Thank you, happy to hear you enjoyed it.