Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole is the ultimate family favorite comfort food. Tender chicken, noodles, and sautéed mushrooms are tossed in a creamy wine sauce and topped with golden cheese.
Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole was my most requested meal growing up. Nothing tasted better than this ultimate comfort meal.
I introduced chicken tetrazzini casserole to my boyfriend in college and he went nuts for it.
So much so, 20 years and four kids later, he still asks me to make it for every birthday dinner. Apparently it had an effect on him.
What is Chicken Tetrazzini?
Chicken tetrazzini is actually an American dish, named after Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. Bite-sized chicken pieces and sautéed mushrooms are mixed into cream sauce that gets its unique flavor from wine and nutmeg.
Traditionally chicken tetrazzini is served over spaghetti or linguine and topped with cheese. Chicken tetrazzini can also be assembled as a casserole and baked for an easy weeknight dinner.
What to Serve with Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole
Chicken tetrazzini is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but also a fantastic entertaining dish when company’s over. Here are some side dishes to go with it…
- green salad
- steamed or roasted broccoli
- garlic bread
- sautéed green beans
- fruit salad
- caprese salad
Can Chicken Tetrazzini Be Frozen?
Yes, this makes the ultimate freezer meal. Double the recipe and freeze one assembled casserole for later (before baking).
Wrap the unbaked Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole with plastic wrap and cover with foil to protect it from freezer burn. Freeze the casserole up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw casserole overnight in the refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap and foil then bake according directions, adding 10-20 minutes more, or until casserole is hot throughout and bubbling.
How To Make Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole
- Sauté mushrooms and garlic. Set aside.
- Make cream sauce by melting butter, adding flour, half and half, chicken stock, wine, and nutmeg. Stir until thickened.
- Place boiled noodles on bottom of casserole dish, top with cooked chicken, mushrooms, and sprinkle on seasonings.
- Pour cream sauce all over casserole dish. Top with parmesan cheese and bake.
Tips and Tricks For Making Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole can be frozen unbaked. Make a double recipe and save one for later.
- If making Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole gluten free, swap out all-purpose flour with gluten free all-purpose flour. (My preference is Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour).
- When baking noodle casseroles, do not boil the noodles to fully cooked. This is especially important when making Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole gluten free. For gluten free pasta, only boil for a few minutes, less than half the time called for. For regular noodles, boil a minute less than al dente.
- Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole can be made ahead of time. Cover casserole (making sure everything is cooled first), refrigerate, and add 10 minutes to baking time.
- Cook chicken any way you like. Recipe notes includes directions for boiling, baking, or using an instant pot. Alternatively, use rotisserie chicken.
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Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles or gluten free spaghetti noodles
- 3 cups cooked and chopped chicken*
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten free all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- garlic powder
- dried basil
- dried oregano
Instructions
- Drizzle a splash of olive oil in pot of water (keeps noodles from sticking to each other) and boil pasta to a minute less than al dente. If you are using gluten free pasta, cook for only half the al dente time according to the box directions. It will be still crunchy and undercooked, but will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and rinse with cold water so it doesn't continue to steam. Set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon on butter in nonstick skillet and sauté mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. When mushrooms are almost finished cooking, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds longer. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, then whisk in the flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds until bubbling and combined. Whisk in chicken broth and half and half. Continue whisking until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Whisk in wine and simmer for a minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Spray and 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and spread cooked pasta on bottom of dish. Spread cooked chicken and mushrooms over pasta. Sprinkle chicken and mushrooms with garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Pour sauce over everything and then lightly press down to make sure the mushrooms, chickens, and pasta are fully incorporated in the sauce. Sprinkle fresh Parmesan over everything and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes until bubbly and hot.
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Notes
- BOIL: Cover 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts with water and boil for 30 minutes. Drain, cool, and cut into pieces.
- BAKE: Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160ºF.
- INSTANT POT: Place chicken breasts in instant pot with 1 cup of water or chicken broth. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes and use natural release.
Nutrition
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Here are some items I used to make this recipe:
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Anonymous says
Great!
Melissa says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Santiago Yniguez says
This is now one of my favorite dishes! I used with a failed leftover chicken that was heavily seasoned with an Italian seasoning. Didn’t want to throw it out, so I figured, why not? Came out great! I dunno if the Italian season was diluted with the sauce, but it worked. I’ll be curious next time around how this comes out without the seasoning on the chicken. Also, I don’t know If the sauce was supposed be very thin. I kinda though it was, but it didn’t effect the dish. Is this supposed to be sorta thick?
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Melissa says
Hello Santiago, Thank you for writing! I completely agree with you about being a favorite dish. There are literal cheers when I serve it.
The sauce should thicken a little, but if it didn’t, it wouldn’t affect anything since it’s baked with the pasta and chicken. I’m glad you were able to save failed chicken. When you make it again (with unfilled chicken), please let me know what you think!
Julie says
What kind of gluten free flour do you like best?
Melissa says
Hi Julie,
I’ve tried pretty much all gluten free all-purpose flours, and I LOVE Cup 4 Cup. I find it’s cheapest to get off of Amazon. There is an affiliate link above. Hope that helps!
Best,
Melissa
Jen says
I made this last night for company. Followed the recipe exactly (including the wine) and it was delicious! Lots of flavor. Kids and adults ate it up! I used a rotisserie chicken and it all came together very quickly. I paired it with some parmesan roasted green beans and garlic bread. Thank you for this recipe! I will be making it again.
Melissa says
I’m so glad you all loved it. Your comments have inspired me to make this again very soon. It is such a great dish, and using the rotisserie chicken would definitely be a time saver. Thanks for taking the time to write!
Tracie C says
I have the pickiest kids around. Made this gluten free with the sweet white rice flour and my kids LOVED it. Very surprised actually. They even ate the mushrooms!! Printing this and Will make this again.
Melissa says
I’m so glad you and your kids liked it! It’s always a win when you can eat a great dinner and it doesn’t have to be ruined by coercing your kids to eat it too…
Devorah says
This look super delicious! Take me back to Italy! We’ll give this one a try for sure!