Chicken Tetrazzini – super delicious make-ahead casserole! Makes a great freezer meal!! Chicken, linguine, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, salt, pepper, garlic, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese. SO creamy and delicious. Made this for dinner and everyone cleaned their plate! Even our picky eaters. This is definitely going in the dinner rotation!
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Pin This RecipeThe BEST Chicken Tetrazzini
Chicken Tetrazzini is a holiday tradition in our family. My grandmother made the BEST chicken tetrazzini. It is my favorite recipe, but I am always open to trying new versions. I came across this version in one of my old cookbooks. It differed from my grandmother’s recipe with sour cream in the mixture. I thought that sounded interesting, so I gave it a try! OMG! SO good! Comfort food at its best. You must give this a try ASAP!
What does Tetrazzini mean?
This dish is named after Luisa Tetrazzini, a famous Italian opera star at the turn of the 20th century. She made her American debut in San Francisco in 1905. In her honor, chef Ernest Arbogast at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, named his signature baked chicken dish, chicken tetrazzini, after her.
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
This chicken casserole is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk together cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, melted butter, chicken broth, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Stir in cooked chicken and pasta. Transfer the pasta mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and the casserole bubbly.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- I use rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken in this casserole. You can use any leftover cooked chicken you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenders are all great.
- I use linguine noodles in this baked pasta. You can use any pasta shape you prefer. Spaghetti, fettuccine,vermicelli, or penne all work fine.
- I suggest using low-sodium chicken broth.
- Can substitute white wine for chicken broth for more flavor.
- Feel free to add green peas, onions, or spinach to the casserole.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
- Can Chicken Tetrazzini be made in advance? Yes! Assemble the casserole and refrigerate overnight before baking.
- Can Chicken Tetrazzini be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the dish in the freezer and freeze.
- When ready to bake, place the dish in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and bake as directed.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With Chicken Tetrazzini
I used linguine noodles in this version of Chicken Tetrazzini. Chicken Legs prefers the thicker noodles to my usual thin spaghetti noodles. Overall, this was a hit! We served it with some green beans and homemade rolls. You could also serve this with the Creamy Italiano Salad I posted yesterday. That actually sounds really delicious! Totally doing that next time! Here are a few more recipes from the blog that go great with this delicious chicken casserole:
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Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients:
- 1 (16-oz) package linguine pasta
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken meat removed and chopped
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 (16-oz) container sour cream
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp dried parsley
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 300ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
- In a large bowl, combine chopped chicken, soups, sour cream, butter, broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Stir in cooked pasta.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with cheeses and parsley. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Notes:
- I suggest using Unsalted Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soups in this dish to control the sodium.
- You can buy it by the case at Amazon:
- Cream of Chjcken: https://amzn.to/49n4uZE
- Cream of Mushroom: https://amzn.to/3SkpNVv
- Need Gluten-free soup? You can buy it here:
- Cream of Chicken: https://amzn.to/3MtqQ1s
- Cream of Mushroom: https://amzn.to/45WqyXY
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
- Substitute mushroom bouillon to make cream of mushroom soup.
- You can buy it by the case at Amazon:
- Can make casserole in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later.
- If baking directly from the refrigerator, you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
- To bake the casserole after freezing, thaw completely in the refrigerator and bake as directed above.
Steph
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What was the difference with your grandma's tetrazzini compared to this recipe?
Here is the link to my grandmother's recipe:
Grandmother’s Chicken Tetrazzini
This is unbelievably good! My husband loved it. I didn't have mozzarella so I used string cheese but utter than that I made as directed. Great recipe!
Can I prepare this the day before, wrap in foil, and then bake it the next day?
Absolutely! Take it out while preheating the oven so it can start to get to room temperature. You may need to add 5 or 10 minutes to the cooking time since it will be colder going in the oven.
To make sure I'm doing this right, you just prep it all throw it in the pan,cover will foil and freeze. Then bake the 45 minutes after taking it out the night before to thaw?
correct
I love this recipe and have made it many times! Have you tried to convert to slow cooker use?
I answered my own question this afternoon, turned out so yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Amy – so glad it turned out in the slow cooker! Thanks for letting us know!!
I made this tonight and its delicious. Thanks for sharing
Can you use canned chicken?
Sure! ???? enjoy!
I don't comment very often on any of these but really if you only pick one foodie to follow it should be this one… I appreciate all the sharing and advising and the recipes are good and the food is delicious
First, I love your recipes! When do you use the chicken broth? It's in the list of ingredients, but I don't see it used in the instructions.
Step 3 – I fixed it. Thanks!
grt
Awww – Thanks you so much Jenn! I'm thrilled you are enjoying the recipes!
Steph, your recipes are always sooooo yummy and not too difficult. YOUR site is my very favorite place to go for all sorts of good recipes. You NEVER disappoint. Thanks!
About how many cups chicken would you say this needs?
A whole rotisserie is about 4 to 5 cups of chicken
Sounds delicious however my son in law can't eat sour cream is there a replacement ingredient that I can use?
I have some other delicious Chicken tertazzini recipes on the blog. Type in Chicken terrazzini in the search box & they will come up
Thank you i found one as always i love your receipes.
Looks delicious Steph and so easy using rotisserie chicken and soups.
So quick & easy! Plus it’s delicious!!
If I made this as a freezer meal would I cook it first then stick it in the freezer? How long in the oven once it's thawed?
I freeze this and baked. I thaw the casserole completely and then follow the cooking directions above