Chicken tetrazzini is the kind of cozy dinner that makes a busy evening feel manageable. Tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, sweet peas, and spaghetti come together in a creamy sauce, then the whole casserole is covered with mozzarella and baked until bubbling. The recipe uses a mix of cream soups, sour cream, milk, and Parmesan for a smooth, savory sauce that clings to every strand. It is generous enough for eight people, easy to assemble ahead, and welcoming on a family table.
What Is Chicken Tetrazzini?
Chicken tetrazzini is a baked pasta casserole with cooked chicken, spaghetti, mushrooms, and a creamy cheese sauce. The pasta is tossed with the warm sauce before baking, so the noodles absorb flavor while the mozzarella melts into a golden top. The result is rich but balanced by peas and mushrooms, with enough sauce to keep the casserole tender rather than dry.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Tetrazzini
This dinner is practical as well as comforting. One chicken breast stretches across eight servings when paired with pasta and vegetables. The sauce comes together in the same pot used for the chicken, which captures the browned bits and keeps cleanup reasonable. You can also prepare the casserole earlier in the day, refrigerate it, and bake it when everyone is ready to eat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gather a large boneless skinless chicken breast, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, olive oil, butter, dry white wine, button mushrooms, yellow onion, garlic, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, milk, grated Parmesan cheese, frozen peas, spaghetti, mozzarella cheese, and fresh parsley. The wine adds depth, while the two soups create a dependable creamy base. Use freshly grated Parmesan when possible so it melts smoothly.
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
Cut the chicken breast in half to create two thinner pieces of equal size. Season each side of the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes prior to cutting into bite-sized pieces. Add any juices from the chicken back to the pot as it rests.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in the same pot and add the wine. Run a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot to lift up any remnants from the chicken, this will give the sauce plenty of flavor. Let it boil gently for 5 minutes and let it reduce. Add the mushrooms and onions, cook for 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 more minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cream of chicken + cream of mushroom soup, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, milk, peas, and diced chicken. Stir to combine and heat over low heat. Cook the spaghetti until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain. Return the spaghetti back to the pot you boiled it in. Pour in the warm sauce over it and stir to combine.
Transfer the pasta to a 9×13 casserole dish or large oven-safe pot. Top with mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Increase heat to 450 and heat for 10 minutes or until the top is bubbly and begins to brown. Let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!
Serving Suggestions
Give the casserole five minutes to settle before serving so each scoop holds together. A crisp green salad, roasted broccoli, or simple steamed green beans adds freshness alongside the creamy pasta. Warm garlic bread is useful for catching the extra sauce. Since the casserole already includes peas and mushrooms, keep side dishes light and bright rather than adding another rich component.
Tips for the Best Results
Do not overcook the spaghetti before it reaches the oven; just al dente pasta has room to soften as it bakes. Let the chicken rest before cutting so its juices stay in the meat. Scrape the browned bits from the pot when reducing the wine, and keep the sauce over low heat once the dairy is added. If the top browns quickly at 450 degrees, loosely cover the casserole for the final minutes.
Storage and Reheating
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container for up to three days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave with a splash of milk, or warm a larger amount covered in a 325-degree oven until hot throughout. The casserole can also be frozen after cooling; wrap it tightly, thaw it in the refrigerator, and reheat covered before uncovering briefly to refresh the cheese topping.
Optional Variation
Optional variation: use cooked rotisserie chicken instead of searing the chicken breast. Stir the shredded chicken into the warm sauce after the mushrooms, onions, and garlic are ready. This shortens the preparation while preserving the creamy texture. You can also replace the peas with finely chopped broccoli, but treat that as an optional variation and keep the primary recipe quantities unchanged.
Chicken Tetrazzini FAQs
Can I make chicken tetrazzini ahead?
Yes. Assemble the casserole, cover it, and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. Add a few extra minutes if it goes into the oven cold.
Why is my baked pasta dry?
The usual causes are overcooked pasta, too little sauce, or uncovered reheating. Stop the spaghetti at just al dente and keep the casserole covered when reheating.
Can I use leftover chicken?
Absolutely. Shredded rotisserie or leftover roasted chicken works well; add it when the sauce is warm so it does not dry out.
Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini for an Easy Family Dinner
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 8 ounces button mushrooms diced
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ¾ pound spaghetti
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast in half to create two thinner pieces of equal size.
- Season each side of the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes prior to cutting into bite-sized pieces. Add any juices from the chicken back to the pot as it rests.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter in the same pot and add the wine. Run a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot to lift up any remnants from the chicken, this will give the sauce plenty of flavor. Let it boil gently for 5 minutes and let it reduce.
- Add the mushrooms and onions, cook for 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 more minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cream of chicken + cream of mushroom soup, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, milk, peas, and diced chicken. Stir to combine and heat over low heat.
- Cook the spaghetti until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- Return the spaghetti back to the pot you boiled it in. Pour in the warm sauce over it and stir to combine.
- Transfer the pasta to a 9x13 casserole dish or large oven-safe pot. Top with mozzarella.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Increase heat to 450 and heat for 10 minutes or until the top is bubbly and begins to brown.
- Let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!
