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!
Comfort Food for Dinner
All of my children have left the nest, and this Chicken Tetrazzini recipe is what they always request when they come home.
It’s delicious comfort food, a great recipe, and easy to make ahead of time too!
This is also one of those recipes I like to keep on hand for when I want to bring a family in need a hearty meal, or a new mom a dinner! It gets rave reviews, and I even made a video tutorial to show you how to make chicken tetrazzini!
This cheesy dish needs to happen in your kitchen. It makes a big 13×9 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 dish 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, and the canned stuff just tastes better! (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. If I’m in a hurry, I’ll boil some boneless skinless chicken breasts in a pot of 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 a very large bowl. Add your hot pasta and your cooked (diced) chicken to the bowl and mix until blended.
- Assemble and Bake. Pour into a large 13×9 baking dish (or two smaller pans). Bake covered for about 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15 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.
Serving Suggestions
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!
Recipe FAQs
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.
Serve this delicious pasta dish with Olive Garden breadsticks and Olive Garden Italian salad for the perfect meal.
Absolutely. Leave out the mushrooms or add in extra depending on your taste buds. You can also add in fresh cut broccoli florets!
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.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Panda Express Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Massaman Curry
- Chicken Taco Soup
Weeknight Dinner Recipes
See all Main Dish recipes
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
Creamy baked Chicken Tetrazzini recipe is the best weeknight dinner recipe your family will love! Easy and delicious.
This is a delicious and easy recipe. The wine really adds flavor. I added fresh mushrooms and some sun dried tomatoes. So much easier than the other recipe I used for years!
Could you please share about how many cups of chicken you use? I would like to use a rotisserie chicken, but I don’t know how many cups of chicken 4 chicken breasts are. Thank you!
H, chicken breasts come in different sizes. I found you can use as much or as little chicken you want. It’s not an exact measurement. I used 3 large chicken breasts and stopped adding the chicken when I thought there was enough in the casserole.
Prepared this recipe very easy and delicious. I thought it was missing something like seasoning prehaps nutmeg. Will make it again.
Hey!
I see a serving size is 300+ calories. Can you tell me how much is a serving size?
And if its on there and om just missing it im sorry.
Thank you 😀
Made for 2 so just used less pasta, SC,and 1 can soup. Just dumped in some bacon bits and crushed red pepper. Did add steamer type peas. My husband ate 3 bowls which is a major feat because he had chemo a while back and picks most meals.
Will definitely put into the rotation
I love this recipe and always sub chicken broth for wine. I have added broccoli or spinach and I think zucchini once. My favorite Sunday dinner.
It’s one of our favorites too, and so versatile!
Didn’t care for the sour cream taste in tetrazzini
I’d like to make smaller amount. Would I just use 1/2 the amount of all the ingredients? Thank you
Yep exactly!
My mother use to make this all the time when I was growing up. I made this tonight for dinner and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you
Why are recipe pages mired with adds and things other than said recipe? Money, I know. But Jesus, you need a degree in forensics just to follow what you are trying to make.
Either I’m an idiot or you are not a very good recipe writer. There are no quantities in your recipe and I just supposed to wing it 10 oz of noodles 8 oz of noodles 14 oz of noodles how much butter, how much this, how much that? I missed it please send me the correct proportions to my email address and I might try the recipe it sounds good but I’m not just going to nearly really throw crap together to try to make a recipe I’ve never made before
If you scroll to the end of the blog post, the recipe card with all the ingredients and directions are there.
Wow, Aimee, I am so sorry that you’re trying to do something nice by sharing your recipe and somebody has to be so rude.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Maybe if you paid attention you would see the measurements. Don’t be so rude and take the stick out of your butt
Apparently you’re an idiot. Your words not mine.
Delicious and easy. I substituted turkey for chicken only because I had leftovers from Thanksgiving. I will definitely cook this again. Beware though. It makes A LOT!
Is the 1\2 cup butter melted?
No. But when you dump the hot noodles on it, it melts naturally.
I was wondering the same. Thanx!
I made this for Thanksgiving instead of dressing It was a 100% hit! My all adult family loved it so much they have asked for it again for Christmas. Thank you!
Made this tonight
Only change was to add some green olives
Delicious!
This has become one of our favorite meals. It’s also been a great dish to freeze ahead, and to take to friends who need a little help with meals.
Do you melt butter?
It melts as you add the hot noodles while mixing.
Can you tell me how much a serving is? Is it 1 cup and then 385 cals per cup?
Excited to make this. The butter is melted first, correct?
made this last night, and it is truly rock star status!!! i did use nonfat greek yogurt in place of sour cream and we grilled the chicken and it was perfect!! thank you!!
I thought I’d give this recipe a try. It was a hit! It is very easy to make. I do think for anyone who might be a beginner cook , the instructions could be a little confusing especially on how to prepare the chicken. I used 2 chicken leg quarters. Boiled them with garlic powder, onion salt, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, rotisserie chicken seasoning and just one chicken bullion cube in a big pot of water for about an hour. Let cool then de-boned and shredded the chicken. Then I followed the recipe as instructed except I substituted the wine for chicken broth and I halved the recipe…makes enough for 4 – 6. Before their second bite they were already asking me to make it again! Next time I think I will add broccoli florets to it.
I thought I’d give this recipe a try. It was a hit! It is very easy to make. I do think for anyone who might be a beginner cook , the instructions could be a little confusing especially on how to prepare the chicken. I used 2 chicken leg quarters. Boiled them with garlic powder, onion salt, Italian seasoning, seasoning salt, rotisserie chicken seasoning and just one chicken bullion cube in a big pot of water for about an hour. Let cool then de-boned and shredded the chicken. Then I followed the recipe as instructed except I substituted the wine for chicken broth and I halved the recipe…makes enough for 4 – 6. Before their second bite they were already asking me to make it again! Next time I think I will add broccoli florets to it.
Can sub substitute 1can cream of mushroom if you dont have to cans of cream of chicken.
Sure can!