Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (2024)

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Chicken tetrazzini is a classic, warm and comforting casserole that is perfect for a dinner party or a family meal.

Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (1)

My version is made from scratch and off-the-charts delicious!😋🙌🏻I have a quick video tutorial for y’all too.👇🏻

Share this video here if it looks good to you!

It has chicken and linguini, tossed together with mushrooms and garlic in a creamy white wine sauce and topped with parmesan cheese.

Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (2)

Every time I have chicken tetrazzini, I can’t help but remember one of my favorite (now closed) restaurants in Auburn, Alabama where I attended college – Behind the Glass.

I think that place is actually a clothing store now by the same name. 🤔Or at least it was last time I checked.

Back in the late 1990s they used to make a killer chicken tetrazzini. If you are any of my college friends reading this, I am sure you remember that place.

Anyway, even though my chicken tetrazzini is made from scratch, don’t be afraid to use a short cut if you need it! One that comes to mind – use a precooked store-bought rotisserie chicken for this casserole. I used my Instant Pot shredded chicken, FYI.

Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (3)

This makes a great dish from entertaining, since you can make the casserole and then bake it right as the guests are set to arrive, just in time for dinner.

Or, if you are one who takes meals to sick friends and new moms (heeey there all my southern church ladies!🙋🏼‍♀️), you could prepare it ahead. Then just have the recipient bake it right in time to eat. Easy peasy!

I hope y’all enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you try it.💖

Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (4)

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

If you like chicken tetrazzini, here are some similar recipes that you may enjoy. Lots of Italian recipes, pasta recipes, plus a few chicken dinners thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!🙌🏻

  • One pot chicken and rice
  • Instant Pot chicken and rice (same recipe as stovetop version above, just adapted for IP cooking)
  • Pasta primavera
  • Pasta e fa*gioli soup
  • Shrimp scampi over linguine
  • Healthy lasagna soup
  • Instant Pot spaghetti (one pot recipe)
  • Mexican chicken spaghetti
  • Greek Pasta with Chicken (Inspired by Taziki’s Friday Pasta Special)
  • Lazy lasagna
  • Grilled chicken breast (stovetop grill pan method)
  • Instant Pot chicken breasts

Tools Used to Make Chicken Tetrazzini

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Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

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Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken tetrazzini is a classic, warm and comforting casserole that is perfect for a dinner party or a family meal - Italian casserole with chicken, mushrooms, creamy white wine sauce and parmesan cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword casserole, chicken tetrazzini

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 458 kcal

Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dry linguine pasta cooked to package instructions and drained (half a 1 pound package)
  • 1 eight ounce pack sliced crimini (baby portabella) mushrooms
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 3 1/2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1 cup milk any type (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (may vary, based on saltiness of your butter, broth, parmesan)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese divided
  • 1 pound chicken thighs or breasts cooked and shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces (I used my Instant pot shredded chicken. I have also used store-bought rotisserie chicken.)
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

  2. Add some cooking spray to a large non-stick pan or dutch oven, and preheat over medium heat.

  3. Add onions and sliced mushrooms to the pan, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.

  4. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the garlic, and cook another minute.

  5. Add the butter to the pan (leave the mushrooms, garlic and onions in there), and let it melt.

  6. Sprinkle the flour, and stir to incorporate (about 30 seconds).

  7. Add the wine, and deglaze the pan using a wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits and mix in flour.

  8. Add chicken stock, milk salt and pepper, and stir to incorporate.

  9. Bring to a simmer and stir often (almost continuously) to avoid scorching. The sauce will thicken pretty quickly, after a minute or 2.

  10. Turn off the stove, remove from heat, and add the cup of parmesan cheese, stirring to incorporate.

  11. Toss the sauce with the cooked shredded chicken and cooked/ drained linguini pasta.

  12. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

  13. Sprinkle extra 1/2 cup parmesan cheese on top, and bake at 375 until cheese is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes.

  14. Remove from oven, and let sit 5 minutes or so. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

This makes 4 large or 6 medium-sized servings.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Tetrazzini

Amount Per Serving

Calories 458 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 92mg31%

Sodium 746mg32%

Potassium 510mg15%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 32g64%

Vitamin A 510IU10%

Vitamin C 2.7mg3%

Calcium 346mg35%

Iron 1.3mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Eva Bodnar says

    Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (6)
    I was thinking, what can I cook for dinner? My daughter loves pasta and with your recipe she was so satisfied. Thank you

    Reply

    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      Happy to hear y’all enjoyed it Eva!❤️

      Reply

  2. Jennifer Lee says

    Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (7)
    I was searching for dinner ideas and found your recipe for chicken tetrazzini. I was thinking about how much I loved it at one of my fav places in college – Behind the Glass in Auburn, Alabama! Wasn’t it just the cutest, funkiest little place? Yes, it is just a clothing store now :O! I can’t wait to make this recipe – will let you know how it turns out – War Eagle!

    Reply

    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      Small world! It was the cutest little spot. I hope you enjoy it. War Eagle!!

      Reply

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Chicken Tetrazzini (Casserole, Classic Italian Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken Tetrazzini sauce made of? ›

What you need for creamy Chicken Tetrazzini Sauce. Here's what you need to make the cream sauce for Chicken Tetrazzini: butter, flour, chicken broth/stock, milk, cream and cheese. The basis of Tetrazzini sauce is a béchamel sauce.

Why is it called chicken Tetrazzini? ›

It is supposedly named for Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, and was made by the chef at her hotel in the early 1900s. Chicken tetrazzini is a baked casserole made with poultry or seafood, and mixed with dairy and pasta that is topped with cheese and breadcrumbs.

What is turkey Tetrazzini made of? ›

Try this American classic turkey casserole—turkey Tetrazzini—a hearty pasta bake that includes sautéed mushrooms, a cheesy creamy sauce, leftover turkey, peas, and egg noodles.

How do you reheat chicken Tetrazzini? ›

I like to reheat a serving in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, just until it's warm. If the chicken tetrazzini seems a little dry, add a splash of chicken broth or milk as it cooks. For a large amount of leftovers, reheat in the oven.

What does Tetrazzini mean in Italian? ›

Tetrazzini is an Italian-American dish made with diced poultry or seafood and in a butter, cream or milk and cheese sauce flavored with sherry or white wine, and combined with linguine, spaghetti, egg noodles, or other types of pasta, sometimes topped with breadcrumbs or cheese, and garnished with parsley or basil.

How do you thicken Tetrazzini sauce? ›

Pro tips for this recipe

You can leave out the chicken and use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian. When making the sauce add the liquids (stock, milk, and cream) in gradually allowing the mixture to thicken each time. The sauce thickens much quicker this way.

Why don't Italians eat chicken and pasta? ›

It's no big deal in British and American kitchens, but pasta with chicken is unheard of in Italy. It could be because the texture of chicken is too similar to cooked pasta, or maybe it's just because that's not what Nonna used to do, but chicken is kept strictly to the secondo, or second course.

What country is tetrazzini from? ›

Chicken Tetrazzini is an American dish. It's unclear which chef, but a chef, created it in honor of Italian opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini when she debuted as Gilda in Rigoletto in San Francisco in 1905.

Who invented chicken Tetrazzini? ›

The dish is named after the famous Italian-born opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. It is widely believed to have been invented ca. 1908-1910 by Ernest Arbogast, then chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, where Tetrazzini was a long-time resident.

What is the difference between tetrazzini and a La King? ›

It turns out the difference is that Chicken Tetrazzini has cheese in it and Chicken à la King does not. In the 1950s, you would open a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, a package of frozen peas, carrots, a can of sliced mushrooms, some Velveeta cheese, and chicken or turkey and voila...an abomination!

What is casserole made of? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

What is pasta called in turkey? ›

Manti is usually eaten as a main dish. Minced chicken and quail meats are also used to prepare mantı in some regions of Turkey. Homemade pasta is called "erişte" in Turkey.

Is it safe to reheat a casserole twice? ›

If food has been hygienically prepared, cooled quickly after cooking (or reheating) and stored cold, reheating more than once should not increase the risk of illness. However, prolonged storage and repeated reheating will affect the taste, texture, and sometimes the nutritional quality of foods.

Should I thaw frozen casserole before baking? ›

Thawing the casserole first can help to ensure even baking—no icy centers allowed. The biggest mistake in this process is not giving yourself enough time. It's not advisable to attempt to thaw your casserole in the oven or in the microwave.

How long does it take a refrigerated casserole to come to room temp? ›

How long does it take a refrigerated casserole to come to room temp? Depending on the size of the dish and the density of its contents, it takes about an hour for to come up to room temperature. Add more time for a larger pan or one with dense contents.

What is this pink sauce stuff? ›

Ingredients disclosed on the Pink Sauce website include water, sunflower seed oil, raw honey, distilled vinegar, garlic, pitaya or dragon fruit, pink Himalayan sea salt, dried spices, lemon juice, milk, and citric acid.

What is cream pasta sauce called? ›

Types of pasta sauce with cream and butter
  • Alfredo. A good alfredo sauce starts with generous amounts of both cream and butter to create a thick, wholesome sauce that pairs well with a long noodle such as linguine. ...
  • Brown butter sauce. ...
  • Burro. ...
  • Cacio e pepe. ...
  • Carbonara.
Feb 2, 2022

What is creamy pasta sauce called? ›

While bechamel sauce is made with milk and flour, alfredo sauce is mainly made with heavy cream and cheese. Both have a creamy texture that thoroughly coats pasta noodles, but bechamel tends to be thicker than alfredo sauce.

What is white pasta sauce made of? ›

White Sauce Pasta is simply cooked pasta mixed with a silky smooth & decadent white sauce made of milk, butter and flour. White Sauce also known as Bechamel Sauce has its origin from the Italian & French Cuisines. In classic culinary terms, this is what is known as a mother sauce.

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