Chicken Tetrazzini Recipes — Creamy Comfort Made Easy Tonight

Creamy chicken pasta bake with golden crumbs—fast, affordable, and perfect for weeknights, potlucks, and picky eaters.

You want dinner that crushes cravings, doesn’t sink your budget, and actually gets cheers at the table. This creamy casserole hits like comfort food should—rich sauce, tender chicken, twirly noodles, crunchy topping, the whole dream. Ten minutes of prep, a flick of the oven, and you’ve got a dish that feels like Sunday but cooks like Tuesday. The ROI on flavor-to-effort here is ridiculous. Make one pan and watch leftovers vanish like a magic trick.

What Makes This Recipe Awesome

We engineered this to be creamy, craveable, and weeknight-friendly. It’s generous, flexible, and doesn’t require chef-level skills—or a sink’s worth of dishes. Here’s why it wins:

• 30–35 minutes in the oven after a quick stovetop sauce. No marathon cooking.
• Feeds 6–8 with standard pantry ingredients—high impact, low cost.
• Crunchy, buttery topping that stays crisp. The contrast is everything.
• Kid-approved and potluck-ready. It travels and reheats like a champ.
• Make-ahead friendly: assemble, chill, bake when you’re ready.
• Customizable to your crowd: add peas, swap cheeses, use rotisserie chicken.

Quick Stats: Prep: 20 minutes | Bake: 25–30 minutes | Oven: 350°F | Pan: 9×13

Shopping List – Ingredients

• 12 oz spaghetti or linguine (or fettuccine)
• 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (rotisserie works great)
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (plus 2 tbsp melted for topping)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half for lighter)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional, extra tang and silk)
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine (optional but classic)
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (divided)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (or fontina/provolone)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or Italian seasoning)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Cooking spray or a little oil for greasing the pan

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta to just al dente (usually 1 minute less than the box). Drain, toss with a little oil to prevent sticking, and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water for sauce adjustments.
3. Sauté the veg: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms and onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until the mushrooms are browned and the onion is soft, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Build the roux: Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, then sprinkle in the 1/4 cup flour. Stir for 1 minute to cook the flour. Pour in the sherry/wine (if using) and let it bubble for 30 seconds.
5. Make the sauce: Whisk in 2 cups broth gradually, then 1 cup cream. Simmer 3–5 minutes until glossy and slightly thick. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, thyme, black pepper, and taste for salt.
6. Enrich: Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream (optional) for extra silk. If the sauce feels too thick, splash in reserved pasta water until it’s luxuriously loose.
7. Combine: Fold in the chicken, peas (if using), and the cooked pasta. Toss until coated. Season again—your taste buds are in charge here.
8. Assemble: Transfer to the greased baking dish. Top evenly with 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
9. Mix the topping: Combine 3/4 cup panko with 2 tbsp melted butter and a pinch of salt. Scatter over the top for maximum crunch.
10. Bake for 25–30 minutes until bubbly with golden edges. For extra color, broil 1–2 minutes—watch it like a hawk.
11. Rest 10 minutes so it sets (and spares your tongue). Finish with chopped parsley and serve.

Pro Tip: Keep the sauce slightly looser than you think; pasta drinks it up as it bakes.

How to Store

Leftovers are a gift—treat them right and they’ll taste day-one good. Follow these easy steps to keep the texture and flavor on point.

• Fridge: Cool, then cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Wrap tightly and freeze up to 3 months. For best texture, freeze before baking; add the crumb topping right before you bake.
• Reheat (whole pan): Cover with foil and warm at 325°F for 25–35 minutes. Uncover for the last 5 minutes to re-crisp topping.
• Reheat (single servings): Microwave with a splash of broth or cream, 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway. Or bake in a small dish at 350°F for 10–15 minutes.
• Thaw: In the fridge overnight. FYI, microwaving from frozen is possible but the topping will sulk.

What’s Great About This

• Comfort without chaos: Silky sauce and cheese without a mountain of pans.
• Budget-friendly: Rotisserie chicken and pantry staples deliver big flavor for less.
• Flexible: Swap pasta shapes, cheeses, or veggies based on what’s in your kitchen.
• Meal prep gold: Assemble ahead, bake later. IMO, this is weeknight strategy done right.
• Scales easily: Double it for a crowd or split into two smaller pans for future you.

Don’t Make These Errors

• Overcooking pasta: It keeps cooking in the sauce. Al dente or bust. FYI: mushy noodles won’t make friends.
• Drying out the bake: Keep the sauce loose; pasta is a thirsty little sponge.
• Skipping seasoning: Salt at every stage—water, veg, sauce, final mix. Bland isn’t a personality.
• Greasy topping: Measure butter in the crumbs. Too much = slick, not crisp.
• Burning under the broiler: Two minutes is a long time up there. Watch it closely.
• Using watery mushrooms: Let them brown. Crowding the pan steams them and kills flavor.

Mix It Up

• Cheese swap: Try fontina for melt, sharp cheddar for punch, or Gruyère for nutty vibes.
• Veg boost: Stir in spinach, roasted broccoli, or sautéed bell peppers.
• Citrus pop: Add 1 tsp lemon zest to the sauce for brightness.
• Spice it: A pinch of red pepper flakes wakes it up without scaring the kids.
• Gluten-free: Use GF pasta and thicken with cornstarch slurry instead of flour.
• Lighter take: Half-and-half instead of cream, Greek yogurt for sour cream, and stash some cheese on the side.
• Wine-free: Skip the sherry and add a splash of extra broth plus a squeeze of lemon.

FAQ

Can I use canned cream soup instead of making the sauce?

You can, but the scratch sauce tastes richer and cleaner. If you go the can route, thin it with a little broth and season well so it doesn’t taste flat.

What pasta shape works best?

Spaghetti or linguine is classic because the strands soak up sauce like pros. Fettuccine works too; short shapes like penne or rotini are fine if you want extra nooks for cheese.

Is sherry necessary?

It’s optional but lovely. Sherry brings a subtle, savory sweetness. White wine is a fine stand-in; if you skip it, add a splash of lemon or extra Parmesan for brightness.

Rotisserie chicken or raw chicken—does it matter?

Use what you’ve got. Rotisserie saves time and adds flavor. If using raw, poach or roast until just cooked, then chop so it stays tender in the bake.

How do I avoid a dry casserole?

Keep the sauce a bit loose, don’t overbake, and add reserved pasta water if it thickens too much. Cover with foil for most of the reheating time to lock in moisture.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes. Assemble up to a day in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Add the breadcrumb topping right before baking so it stays crisp. You may need 5 extra minutes in the oven from cold.

How can I make it gluten-free?

Use gluten-free pasta and thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch whisked into 2 tbsp cold water). Keep an eye on bake time—GF pasta can break if overcooked.

What if I don’t have sour cream?

Greek yogurt works, or skip it and add a touch more cream. You’ll still get a lush sauce with the roux, broth, and cheese doing the heavy lifting.

Wrapping Up

Make this once and it becomes a staple—fast, creamy, and guaranteed to win over your toughest critics. Keep the sauce loose, the topping crisp, and the seasoning bold, and you’ll have repeat requests all week. One pan, big comfort, minimal drama. That’s how you win dinner tonight.