This Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe is filled with tender chicken and noodles in a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with loads of cheese.
We love to pair this easy pasta recipe with my Garlic Breadsticks and a homemade Caesar Salad for a complete meal.
Say hello to your new favorite, easy weeknight pasta casserole!
YESSS!! I love a good casserole recipe and this one brings back all the memories from my childhood.
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
What exactly is Chicken Tetrazzini? Tetrazzini typically consists of non-red meat(we’re using chicken here) and pasta served with a creamy white sauce.
While the name Tetrazzini may sound very Italian (named after an Italian opera singer in the early 1900’s who lived in San Fransisco), this classic dish originated in America.
Some common substitutions are using leftover turkey meat in place of the chicken. You could also use ham!
Ingredients for Chicken Tetrazzini
I’ve amped up the flavor, while still keeping this an easy weeknight casserole by using flavor-packed ingredients.
Here’s a basic list of what you’ll need, as always, you can find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.
- Linguine Pasta – or any other similar shape pasta (spaghetti, fettuccini)
- Butter
- Cream of Mushroom Soup – you can swap out with cream of chicken soup if you’re not a fan of mushrooms
- Sour Cream
- Chicken Broth
- Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Parsley
- Cooked, Shredded Chicken – you can shred from a rotisserie chicken or use my slow cooker option to make your own
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
How To Make Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
This recipe takes only a few minutes of prep work before you toss the casserole in the oven to finish baking.
I love the ease of prepping this recipe ahead of time so I can freeze and save for another date and bake fresh when I’m ready!
- Start by boiling your pasta noodles until they’re al dente (still have some bite to them).
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Add in the cooked chicken, noodles and parsley and stir to combine.
- Pour into a prepared baking dish, cover with mozzarella and parmesan cheese then cover with foil and bake until bubbly!
What Type Of Pasta Goes In Tetrazzini?
When it comes to Chicken Tetrazzini, you’ll want to use a nice long pasta.
You can use: Spaghetti, Thin Spaghetti, Fettuccini, or Linguine. That being said, I’m sure this recipe would be phenomenal with a short pasta too!
Linguine is my favorite because it’s not super wide, and not too thin. It holds up well in a baked pasta dish.
What Can I Substitute Cream of Mushroom Soup With?
Not a fan of mushrooms? No problem!
You can easily swap out the cream of mushroom soup with cream of chicken soup.
Not a fan of cream soups? No worries! Use this recipe in place-
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 cup finely diced mushrooms
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Melt butter in a large pot and sauté mushrooms until tender. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir to cook, just one minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth, and heavy cream. Simmer until thickened and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients to this mushroom soup mixture and continue on with the recipe!
How To Freeze and Store Tetrazzini
Like I mentioned earlier, this super creamy and cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini is perfect for meal prepping.
FREEZE AHEAD: Prepare the recipe according to the instructions, up until baking. Then let cool, cover with plastic wrap, then a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Prior to baking, remove tetrazzini from freezer, place in fridge and let defrost for 24 hours. Remove plastic wrap and bake as instructed.
STORE LEFTOVERS: This dish remains extra creamy even after it’s been baked and refrigerated. We reheat small portions in the microwave, covered with plastic wrap until heated through. You can also reheat the whole casserole, covered, at a lower temperature until heated through.
Pro Tip: I love using these freezer friendly casserole dishes with lids to store in my freezer!
What To Serve With Pasta Tetrazzini
Since this dish is already packed with carbs, you can skip the Garlic Breadsticks if you want (although it’s one of our favorites).
Here are a few more easy sides that will pair nicely…
- Any sort of steamed vegetable
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Easy Creamed Spinach
- Buttery Sautéed Zucchini
I’m telling you, this recipe comes together suuuuuper fast!
It’s the perfect dinner to make when you have company coming over because it feeds a large crowd.
The leftovers are just as creamy and filling in my opinion!
More Comforting Pasta Casserole Recipes
I do love a good pasta casserole! Here are a few more that you MUST try!
- Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Freezer Friendly Baked Ziti
- Ultimate Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Cheesy Lasagna Stuffed Shells
I can’t wait for you to take a bite of this comforting Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe! I’m sure you’ll fall in love.
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz. Linguine pasta
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 20 oz. cream of mushroom soup*
- 2 cups sour cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Cook linguine pasta according to package instructions, until al dente. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x13" casserole dish with non stick spray and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine melted butter, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, chicken broth, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Add in the freshly chopped parsley, cooked chicken and drained, cooked pasta. Stir until combined. Pour creamy pasta mixture into prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, until bubbly in center. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PIN THIS IMAGE TO SAVE THE RECIPE:
Easy Pork Schnitzel Recipe
Bev Stasicky
Doesn’t the 2 Cups of sour cream overpower the taste of everything else?
Teresa Austill
Made this tonight! It is amazing! Family loves it! Thanks so much!
Sherry P Demarest
So, is it 1 or 2 cans of soup? It looks great~!
Cat
Ugh! I’m not the best cook. Or best have the best vision. When I read 20 oz of cream of mushroom I just assume one can. After putting everything together, I saw the video. In the video she says “TWO cans of cream of mushroom”! I only put one not knowing a can is 10 1/2 oz. Ugh!
Jenni G
I agree that it’s confusing. The recipe should list 2 10.5 oz cans of soup, as that’s what’s most commonly available at most stores.
Mitzi Zornow
How can I cut this down to 2 servings or 4 at the most ?
Mel
Can you add frozen peas?
Shawn
Yes, for sure! That would be a great way to add some vegetables to the meal.
Tausha
This recipe is soooo yummy ! And easy to make. My family requests it all the time !
NatalieLynn Miller
Was a huge hit with my Husband and 21y old Son. They both had seconds. Actually my son was taking seconds before we finished our first serving. Husband said it was a keeper recipe!!!
Only change was instead of parsley I used Italian Seasoning (I just couldn’t get past why I’d use parsley lol that normally I feed the rabbits)!
Cindy Wondercheck
Delicious! I would add in canned fresh corn and water chestnuts for a little crunch. 🙂
Gale G
Easy and a warm hug kind of cold weathet dinner!I made half and baked in a 9″x9″ pan. Glad I noticed it made 12 servings. I used left over Thanksgiving turkey and will definitely make it again with leftover rotisserie chicken. Loved the cheesey top. I will probably add fresh broccoli for a little more color.
Gina M Geith
Next time I will skip the mozzarella. It was too cheesy for us. Also I will cut back on the butter. It was too fatty for us. Thank you for this recipe.
Sue
This recipe was easy and so creamy and comforting. This was made on one of my first days home from hospital after major surgery. Even though I was suppose to eat light I could not resist the looks and sound of this comfort casserole. Will absolutely add to the family cookbook! Thank you for sharing. Best part…leftovers!
Sara
I have literally been searching for YEARS to find a good tetrazzini recipe that had FLAVOR. I am so excited because this is THE tetrazzini recipe… this is the way all tetrazzini should be made! I substituted in leftover turkey, and it was yum. Even my 12 year old, who is always wary of baked pasta dishes, asked for seconds and said this was delish. Thank you for this!
Shawn
I’m doing a happy dance over your comment Sara! I’m so glad you found my recipe and enjoyed it! Yay!
Annie
This is a good recipe when you need to feed a crowd. It is very rich and filling. I used a rotisserie chicken and cream of chicken soup. I added a touch of paprika and a little bit of Italian seasoning to give it more flavor. I felt like the sour cream taste was a bit overwhelming so maybe next time I’ll cut down on that. The family loved it and even my pickiest little one enjoyed it.
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Annie!
Nancy
If I cut down sour cream do I just add more soup or cream?
Shawn
I would add more soup. Hope you enjoy!
Kathy
Read further down the page to see a substitution for the soups. Chicken broth, heavy cream, butter, etc.
Rebecca
Where? I’m obviously missing something. 🙁
Shawn
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
4 tbsp butter
1 cup finely diced mushrooms
2 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in a large pot and sauté mushrooms until tender. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.
Sprinkle in flour and stir to cook, just one minute.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth, and heavy cream. Simmer until thickened and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients to this mushroom soup mixture and continue on with the recipe!
Wendy Bell
I’d love to make this recipe, it looks very inviting! I don’t use canned cream of anything soup as I find it tastes artificial. Any suggestions?
becky
someone posted on April 6th substitution/home made cream soup:
Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
4 tbsp butter
1 cup finely diced mushrooms
2 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in a large pot and sauté mushrooms until tender. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.
Sprinkle in flour and stir to cook, just one minute.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth, and heavy cream. Simmer until thickened and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients to this mushroom soup mixture and continue on with the recipe!