Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
A simple take on classic comfort food! This quick and easy chicken tetrazzini is a family-friendly casserole that can be made ahead of time for busy nights, or tossed together in about 20 minutes.
Servings 6 people
Calories 548kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces linguine or spaghetti
- ¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter, melted
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, not diluted
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, not diluted
- 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 3 cups cooked, diced or shredded chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch or deep 11 x 7-inch baking dish; set aside.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Drain.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, condensed soups, sour cream, and broth. Add the chicken and the cooked pasta. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared dish. Top with grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Boil the noodles in well-salted water. This is your opportunity to really season the pasta.
- Cook the noodles for 1 minute less than al dente. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven, so you want to slightly under-boil them so that they don't become mushy after baking.
- Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. If you prefer to cook your own chicken at home, boil about 1 ½ lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs until cooked through (about 15-20 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size pieces or shred the chicken with forks and use in the recipe. You'll need a total of about 3 cups (more or less) shredded.
- Garnish the casserole with fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, basil, or oregano) for a bright, fresh touch. Sliced green onions or chives are also good!
- Cooking Just for Two? Cut all of the ingredients in half (using just one can of soup -- either flavor is fine), and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. You may need to decrease the baking time by 5-10 minutes to account for the smaller pan.
- Swap out the chicken and use leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Add some veggies to the casserole. For instance, try some frozen peas, corn, canned sliced mushrooms, sauteed mushrooms, onions, or celery, or parboiled broccoli.
- Any long pasta shape will work. I typically use linguine, but spaghetti or fettuccini are also good options.
- Stir some fresh herbs into the pasta dish. For instance, try a little bit of thyme or rosemary, or garnish the dish with basil or chives.
- Add garlic powder or onion powder for even more of a flavor boost.
- Top the casserole with buttered panko breadcrumbs (or regular bread crumbs), Ritz cracker crumbs, crushed potato chips, or crushed Corn Flakes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 790mg | Potassium: 887mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1007IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 1mg