This chicken tetrazzini is comforting and supremely creamy; a cheesy pasta bake loaded with juicy chicken and plump mushrooms. It’s based on one of the MOST POPULAR recipes on my blog.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

When you bake this pasta casserole, some of the sauce bakes into the pasta, the flavors marry and [!!BAM!!] something wonderful happens. You’ll know what I mean when you try it. Ridiculously good, easy to prepare, kid friendly, reheats well and freezer safe. P.S. you can further simplify this by using rotisserie chicken – You’re welcome ‘ma friends :).

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

This recipe can be done entirely using a dutch oven so it can go from the stove to the oven saving you some dishes. You can also bake it in a 13×9″ casserole dish, but whichever path you choose, the result will be a cheesy, creamy chicken pasta bake that will have your family refilling their bowls.

P.S. We have included Amazon Affiliate links to our favorite tools to make this recipe.

Chicken Tetrazzini pasta served right out of the pot

Ingredients for Chicken Tetrazzini:

  • We used thin spaghetti, but you can substitute with any kind of noodles you have on hand such as linguine or fettuccini pasta for your chicken tetrazzini casserole.
  • SHORTCUT: (what you will see in the video), you can use a rotisserie chicken and cut away enough chicken meat to get 4 cups of shredded chicken. Light or dark meat will work.
  • This recipe calls for low sodium chicken broth. Regular chicken broth is ok, but go easy on the salt and add more to taste when making the sauce.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini (Watch the Video below):

1. Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

2. Shred 4 cups of rotisserie Chicken into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

OR: If cooking your own chicken, In a large dutch oven pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to a cutting board to cool then dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

3. In your large dutch oven pot, add 2 Tbsp oil then sliced mushrooms and sauté 3 min or until soft. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft (5-7 min). Add minced garlic and sauté another 1-2 min. Transfer to a separate dish.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

4. In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and add 1/3 cup flour whisking until lightly golden (1 1/2 min). Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and whisk until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups half and half and bring to a simmer then season sauce to taste.

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

5. Return chicken, mushrooms and pasta to the pot then season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella, cover and bake at 350˚F for 30 min then remove lid and continue baking 15 min. (See notes below for 13×9 casserole dish baking tips).

Four photos of the process to make Chicken Tetrazzini

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

Watch Natasha Make this Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole:

If you enjoy our videos, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel and click the bell icon so you’ll be the first to know when we post a new video. THANK YOU for subscribing! We love spending time with you on our Youtube Channel.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

4.97 from 383 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
This chicken tetrazzini is comforting and supremely creamy; a cheesy pasta bake loaded with juicy chicken and plump mushrooms.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 as a main course

For the Chicken Tetrazzini:

  • 12 oz thin spaghetti or linguine
  • 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, *or cook 2 lbs chicken breast
  • 1 lb button mushrooms, thickly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

For the Creamy Sauce:

  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half, or sub with equal parts milk & heavy cream
  • 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 cup parsley,, chopped, plus more to garnish
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until aldente according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.
  • Cut 4 cups of chicken meat from a rotisserie chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces and set aside. 
  • Place a large dutch oven or pot over medium/high heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil then add sliced mushrooms and sauté 3 min or until softened. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft and golden, 5-7 min. Add minced garlic and sauté another 1-2 min until fragrant. Remove to the cutting board with chicken.
  • In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/3 cup flour until lightly golden (1 1/2 min). Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and whisk until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups half and half and bring to a simmer. Season sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Return chicken, mushrooms, onions and pasta to the pot then sprinkle in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella, cover and bake at 350˚F for 30 min then remove lid and continue baking 15 min.**

Notes

*To cook your own chicken: in your dutch oven or pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season 2 lbs chicken breasts with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to cutting board to cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.
**If baking in a 13x9 casserole dish, cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes then bake uncovered an additional 10-15 min (it bakes 5-10 min faster in a casserole dish)

Nutrition Per Serving

413kcal Calories43g Carbs16g Protein21g Fat10g Saturated Fat49mg Cholesterol471mg Sodium454mg Potassium2g Fiber3g Sugar638IU Vitamin A6mg Vitamin C177mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
413
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
10
g
63
%
Cholesterol
 
49
mg
16
%
Sodium
 
471
mg
20
%
Potassium
 
454
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
 
43
g
14
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
3
g
3
%
Protein
 
16
g
32
%
Vitamin A
 
638
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
 
6
mg
7
%
Calcium
 
177
mg
18
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken tetrazzini, chicken tetrazzini casserole
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 413

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole pasta bake in pot

Serve right away to the line that has formed behind you :). I can’t help but pair this with crunchy baby dill pickles (mildly obsessed pickle fan over here). I hope your family LOVES this!

 

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comforting, cheesy, supremely creamy chicken pasta bake. This chicken pasta casserole will have your family refilling their bowls!

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Rebecca Addington Gess
    February 25, 2024

    I’m making this for a new mom meal. But assembling a day ahead. Should I bake first and then refrigerate? Or just have them bake when delivered?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      February 25, 2024

      Hi Rebeccca! Either way would work. It can be prepared and refrigerated then baked later. It may need add some additional baking time since it will be cold.

      Reply

  • Andrew Criss
    February 18, 2024

    was wondering can I make this the day before and keep in the fridge before baking!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 19, 2024

      Yes, you can prepare and refrigerate it then bake it later. You’ll need to add some additional baking time since it will be cold.

      Reply

  • Jude Gailey
    January 20, 2024

    The ABSOLUTE best casserole!
    I loved the addition of the fresh lemon juice! Just yummy all around.
    Thank you Natasha!
    Jude

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 21, 2024

      You’re very welcome, Jude!

      Reply

  • Janet Altenhoff
    January 17, 2024

    Excellent recipe! Creamy and cheesy in perfect combination also simple to put together makes it a winner

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 17, 2024

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Janet!

      Reply

  • diane lake
    January 12, 2024

    commented on recipe but, wanted to add that you are the first blog I subscribed to. Just about everyone else I check the recipes but, don’t want to commit. Your Chicken Tetrazzini is so good I think your other recipes will be great as well.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 12, 2024

      Hi Diane! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you!

      Reply

  • diane lake
    January 12, 2024

    OMG! This is soooo goooood.
    I just made it and just out of the oven.
    This is one I will be doing in the future.
    And while it looks like a lot to do it really is easy to make.
    A recipe worth keeping!

    Reply

  • MB
    January 10, 2024

    Good recipe – turned out well. Added thyme and rosemary in when sauteeing the mushrooms

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 10, 2024

      I’m glad you liked it, MB!

      Reply

  • Jim Troester
    December 28, 2023

    Natasha,
    So much better than the ‘Campbell’s Soup’ version.

    One small problem, I made a half recipe and used the scaling feature. Ingredients scaled fine but other references to quantity did not scale (a common issue with recipe software). You have a lot of repeated quantities in your instructions (e.g. ‘melt 4 Tbsp butter’ — it should say 2). Twice I almost used twice as much of an ingredient (I know, mise en place and read and reread). Anyhow, you might want to minimize repeating quantities or get rid of the scaling feature.

    Besides that — relatively esy and very very good.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 29, 2023

      Thank you for your feedback, Jim! At this time the instructions don’t scale so you would need to manually adjust this as the scale only works for the ingredients list at this time. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.

      Reply

  • Karen
    December 19, 2023

    Made this tonight. Yum! Delish!
    Hubby and I both loved it. Put in 2 8×8 pans. baked one, froze other for another quick easy weekday meal

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 19, 2023

      Hello Karen, nice to know that you both enjoyed this recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing!

      Reply

  • Marilu Sorenson
    November 13, 2023

    This sounds delicious! I’m wondering if I can use milk instead of heavy cream? Also, if I don’t use mushrooms can you recommend a different vegetable? My boys have a real aversion to mushrooms🙃.

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      November 13, 2023

      Hi Marilu! You can sauté another veggie of your choice (asparagus, or other). If you use just milk, the sauce won’t thicken. You’ll want something with higher fat content like half and half for a thicker consistency.

      Reply

      • David
        December 11, 2023

        We made this for the first time. I grew up with this dish and really loved it. Since my wife and I can’t have alot of dairy we used almond milk instead of half and half. We also forgot to add the garlic as we caring for our 9 month old in the process. We thought all the cream went straight to the noodles because it was a little dry. The dish came out okay but felt it needed more zip. I think we will add sundried tomatoes, and not skip garlic. Hopefully these ingredients brighten it more our second try. Any suggestions.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          December 12, 2023

          HI David, it’s probably missing the richness from the half and half and I haven’t tested those substitutions to give you specific advice on that.

          Reply

  • N Irwin
    October 29, 2023

    Natasha. I love all your recipes and the enthusiastic way in which you demonstrate them! I am planning a ladies luncheon. Could I use penne pasta instead of the spaghetti. Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 29, 2023

      I think that will work just fine although we love it with spaghetti. I hope it becomes a huge hit!

      Reply

  • Judi
    October 21, 2023

    Hi Natasha, love most all of your recipes and cats wait to try more of your soup recipes this Fall and Winter. We’re wondering, for the Chicken Tettrazini, a friend and I both made it and thought was rather bland, even with salt and pepper to taste. How can we add more flavor?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      October 21, 2023

      Hi Judi, did you change or modify anything in the recipe? Also, make sure not to add too much pasta which can make it seem a little bland.

      Reply

    • Alli
      November 28, 2023

      I found the same thing and added parmesan to the sauce. Adds salt & depth of flavor!

      Reply

    • Andrew Sansoni
      December 18, 2023

      Add bacon or pancetta. I cook the bacon first, then add the mushrooms and asparagus and saute them in the bacon grease. That’s how my sicilian grandma made tettrazini. It’s amazing, way more flavor!

      Reply

  • Jessica Burrola
    September 28, 2023

    What are other veggies you’d recommend for this dish? I have a mushroom allergy but still want to include veggies.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 29, 2023

      Hi Jessica! I’m sure it can work to experiment with another veggie of your choice too. Asparagus may be a good one to try.

      Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.