Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 11/12/21
Chicken tetrazzini casserole in baking dish with spoon.
The Spruce / Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 casserole

This homemade chicken tetrazzini casserole is a kid-friendly pasta meal the whole family will enjoy. The dish is made with chicken and spaghetti along with classic tetrazzini ingredients, including Parmesan cheese and mushrooms. A smooth and creamy white sauce brings the one-pot meal together, while a generous amount of Parmesan cheese gives it a crusty brown topping.

Fresh ingredients and a homemade sauce make this chicken tetrazzini casserole a comforting meal, and it's easy enough to prepare any night of the week.

Tetrazzini is an American dish made with poultry or seafood. It was named after the Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. It dates back to the early 1900s. There is some debate about the origin, but Good Housekeeping published the earliest description of turkey tetrazzini in 1908. 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces spaghetti
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup half-and-half (or light or heavy cream)
  • 2 cups chicken stock, preferably low sodium or unsalted
  • Optional: 2 to 4 tablespoons dry Sherry
  • 3 to 4 cups chicken, cooked
  • 2/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese (divided use, plus more for serving)
  • Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish.

    Ingredients for chicken tetrazzini casserole.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  2. Break the spaghetti up into shorter lengths and cook in boiling salted water following the package directions. Drain and set aside.

    Drain the spaghetti.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  3. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove the mushrooms to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.

    Sautéed mushrooms.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  4. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the same pan and place it over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk the cream and chicken stock into the flour mixture. Add the dry Sherry to taste, if using. Add about half of the Parmesan cheese and continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Taste and add kosher salt, as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add extra cream or stock.

    Making the sauce for chicken tetrazzini.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  5. Add the mushrooms and cooked chicken to the sauce mixture and continue to cook until hot. Add chopped parsley, if using, and stir to blend.

    Add the chicken and mushrooms to the sauce.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  6. Turn the drained spaghetti into the prepared baking dish. Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta and spread it to cover. Top the casserole with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

    Chicken tetrazzini ready to bake.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  7. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot, bubbly, and lightly browned.

    Baked chicken tetrazzini in casserole.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

  8. Serve chicken tetrazzini with a salad or fresh vegetables and extra Parmesan cheese.

    Chicken tetrazzini on a plate with salad.
    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Glass Bakeware Warning

For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or, allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

Tips

If using a higher sodium shelf-stable Parmesan cheese, cut back to about 3 to 4 tablespoons in the sauce (or to taste) and 3 to 4 tablespoons for the topping.

Recipe Variations

  • For a crunchy topping, combine the remaining Parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup), with 1 cup of buttered breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake as directed.
  • Add a dash of nutmeg to the sauce mixture.
  • Sprinkle the casserole lightly with paprika just before baking.
  • Sauté about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic with the mushrooms.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
  • If you plan to freeze an entire casserole, first line the baking dish with a sheet of foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Cook the spaghetti just until al denté, and prepare the recipe up until to step 6, but do not top with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Freeze the casserole until solid, and then use the foil overhang to remove it from the baking dish. Wrap it tightly with foil and label it with the name and date. Freeze for up to 4 months. To bake, place the frozen casserole back in the same baking dish and defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. Top with about 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and bake at 375 F for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
456 Calories
31g Fat
21g Carbs
23g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 456
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 16g 79%
Cholesterol 112mg 37%
Sodium 521mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 23g
Calcium 99mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)