Made with love, this dish is absolutely amazing! I cannot wait for you to try this! I am telling you this is absolutely The Best Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe! Restaurant quality and the ultimate comfort food! You are going to love this delicious recipe! This is a great one to serve your company. Pair it with a salad and some Homemade French Bread. YUM!
I thought I had lost this recipe. I have been searching for it because I have been craving it. It’s a recipe I got super randomly from my college roommate’s mother’s friend. Did you follow that? I went home for the weekend with my roommate, Ashlee, and it was Valentine’s Day weekend. Her mom’s friend, who is an amazing cook, had made a special meal for Ashlee’s parents. Ashlee and I happily ate the leftovers.
It was the kind of good that made my eyes roll back in my head. I had never tasted anything like it up to that point in my life. My mom never made chicken tetrazzini or anything with an Alfredo sauce, and I was obsessed with the flavors in this mystery food I was eating. When I asked the friend if she would share the recipe, she scratched it down on a scrap paper sitting on the counter. I still have the paper, but as I said, it has been lost for a long time. I was so scared I had lost it forever.
It turned up this week in the back of a really old planner that I was about to throw away. It was like a little yellow miracle staring back at me! Of course, I wasted no time getting the ingredients and making it today! Do yourself a favor and don’t wait to make this recipe. It is the bomb!
More Comfort Food Recipes
- Beef Sundaes
- Salisbury Steak with Mushroom and Onion Gravy
- Crazy Good Pork and Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Hobo Dinner
- Mom’s Baked Soda Cracker Chicken
- Classic Meatloaf
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS ON HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHICKEN TETRAZZINI RECIPE
Frequently Asked Questions about how to make The Best Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
can I use a different pasta than fettuccine?
Yes, you can. A similar pasta like linguine or spaghetti will work in this recipe. You could even try penne, shells or rotini, but I do not recommend using smaller pasta like orzo or ditalini.
what’s a good substitute for heavy cream?
You want the sauce to be able to thicken, so I recommend using whole milk in place of the heavy cream. If you use lower-fat milk, the sauce will not thicken very well.
can I use pre-cooked chicken in this recipe?
Yes. It’s actually a good way to use up leftover baked chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the store. First, cut the pre-cooked chicken into 1-inch pieces to yield 2 cups. Then, after sauteing the mushrooms and onions, place them in a large mixing bowl along with the pre-cooked chicken. Mix until combined. After this step, follow the rest of the recipe.
my family doesn’t like mushrooms. can I leave them out?
If you have mushroom haters in your family, the dish will still be delicious if you leave them out.
how should I store chicken tetrazzini?
Store the leftover casserole covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up 6 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
can I make this casserole ahead of time?
Yes, you can. Once you have prepared it, store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
chef’s tools:
Delicious Casseroles
- 16 ounce package of fettuccine (cooked al dente)
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 10 tbsp butter, divided
- ¼ cup + 1½ tbsp flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3½ cups chicken broth or stock
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1½ cups fresh parmesan, grated
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Don't forget to salt the water. I also like to break my noodles in half. It makes it easier to serve out of the casserole dish.
- In a large deep skillet, saute the chicken pieces in 2 tbsp of butter until they are fully cooked and slightly browned. Sprinkle them with 1 tsp of salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp ground black paper while they are cooking.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and add another 2 tbsp of butter, the sliced mushrooms, and diced onions. Add ½ tsp salt to the mushrooms and onions and saute them until fully cooked and tender, 7-10 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms and onions from the skillet. (I put them in the same bowl as the cooked chicken.)
- Next, add 6 tbsp butter to the skillet. Let it melt and then add ¼ cup + 1½ tbsp of flour and use a whisk to make a roux. (This step can be done in a saucepan, if you prefer. I just like to use as few dishes as possible.)
- Whisk the butter and flour together for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the two cups of cream, and then whisk in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer until thickened.
- Next, turn the heat down to low and add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of parmesan cheese. Whisk until nice and smooth.
- Remove skillet from heat and add the drained noodles, cooked chicken, and cooked mushrooms and onions into the sauce. If your skillet isn't big enough, combine everything in a large bowl so you can mix it well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Next, pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan and top with 2 cups of mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes. If you want the cheese to be a little darker, throw it under the broiler for a minute or two.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Must-Make Pasta Dishes
My parents love pasta with Alfredo sauce, so I made this recipe for them during a visit. They thought it was so delicious!
Yay! I am so glad you tried it, this is one of my all time favorite recipes! Your parents sound like my kind of people!
Made this recipe to two months ago and can’t get it out of my mind! It is absolutely delicious and I will never make it any other way (especially the common cream of chicken soup variety). I made extra to share with neighbors and to have some to freeze for later. EVERYONE loved it. Going to make again to take to a friend to have on hand after returning home after surgery because it is the best comfort food EVER!
This makes me so happy Caroline! This recipe is probably my all time favorite, so delicious and I always feel like a rockstar that I made something so good. 🙂
Like every other flipping recipe on the internet, you have to tell me your life history, how mama was such a good cook, how you tried diferent ways, how delicious it is,, how your kids just live it, etc., BUT YOU NEVER GIVE THE STUPID RECIPE. other than some vague cook this, add the rest of the ingredients ( no mention how much of each) and cook at x degrees. Hiw sbout just putting down the ingredients, how much of each. and how long to cook it in an oven, on a dtove, in a pot…you know, HOW TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE DANG MEAL!! That would be great.I don’t need ads, different recipe ideas. or other nonsense
I’m so sorry that the way food blogs are set up is so frustrating to you. Compared to many blogs I feel like I make the description as precise as possible. Without ads I don’t make any money and can’t justify the time I spend creating recipes and the process of posting them here. The recipe is always included, I think you just need to scroll down a little bit more to see it. There is also a button right at the top when you come to the post that gives you an option to “Jump to the Recipe” if you click that it will take you right to the recipe, skipping the “Story” and ads.
This recipe was a HUGE hit with our family- kids & grandkids. HUGE HIT!!! And I mean huge! 😀
Even the non-mushroom eaters had seconds. Thanks!
Right!!! I personally think this is one of the best things in the world, I am SOOOO glad you made it, makes me so happy to think about my some of my favorite people enjoying it!
This looked so delicious so I made it. My son thought it was divine and requested it be added to our regular line up.
Favorite. So delicious!! Definitely a must try.