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Easy, creamy, and utterly delicious cheesy chicken tetrazzini is a family favorite that takes minutes to prep!
Our go-to Chicken Pasta Dinner!
Today’s recipe for chicken tetrazzini happens to be one of those yummy recipes that everyone enjoys. In fact, our family is obsessed and because of that, it’s our go-to chicken pasta dinner.
With over 1,000 5 STAR REVIEWS, you can see it’s not just loved by our family. It’s a recipe our mom first found decades ago and especially loved with fried zucchini, cheesy garlic bread and roasted vegetables.
Why we love it:
- DELICIOUS! As mentioned above, it has all the delicious ingredients that make for a cheesy, hearty, yummy pasta dinner.
- SIMPLE. Not only is it delicious, but the recipe is simple too. There are extra steps in cooking the chicken and pasta, but it’s a classic easy dinner idea.
- HOLIDAY DINNER. We have made this for SO many special occasions including birthdays, Sunday dinner, and holidays. It’s always a hit!
Ingredients
- linguine – Substitute the linguine with fettuccine, tagliatelle or spaghetti.
- unsalted butter
- chicken breasts, cooked and diced – chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken also work
- cream of chicken soup – cream of mushroom soup or even the combined cream of chicken and mushroom soup work great too
- sour cream
- garlic salt with parsley flakes
- pepper
- chicken broth
- grated Parmesan cheese
- shredded Mozzarella cheese – Change it up by using different cheeses.
How to Make Chicken Tetrazzini
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- PASTA. Cook noodles, to al dente, according to the box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- SAUCE. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, garlic salt, and pepper. Mix well, then stir in cooked noodles.
- BAKE. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle both cheeses on top and bake, uncovered, for 36–42 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbling.
Complete the Meal:
- SIDE DISHES: Cheesy Garlic Bread, Baked Parmesan Asparagus. Olive Garden Breadsticks, Fried Zucchini
- DESSERTS: Italian Cookies, Panna Cotta, Angel Food Cake
- More easy Chicken Pasta Dinners: Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Stroganoff, Chicken Alfredo Bake
More Collections: Sunday Dinner Ideas, Italian Dinner Ideas, Chicken Pasta Recipes
Chicken Tetrazzini
Easy, creamy, and utterly delicious cheesy chicken tetrazzini is a family favorite that takes minutes to prep and makes a great freezer meal!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package linguine, or fettucine or spaghetti
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups sour cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt with parsley flakes
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish and set aside.
- Cook linguine according to the box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, garlic salt, and pepper. Mix well, then stir in cooked noodles.
- Pour the mixture into a prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle both cheeses on top and bake, uncovered, for 36-42 minutes, until cheeses are melted and bubbling.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- This is an easy recipe to add vegetables to. We often mix in peas or broccoli florets.
- This recipe freezes super well, so we usually double the recipe so we have one to freeze for later.
- For added flavor and texture, sauté 2 tablespoons butter with ½ cup panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle it on top before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 714kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 166mg, Sodium: 1284mg, Potassium: 687mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1086IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 248mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RECIPE FAQ
Best Variations for Tetrazzini?
- Vegetables. Add in vegetables like peas, corn, broccoli florets, mushrooms, and onions.
- Seasonings. Season with garlic salt, or parsley flakes. Add a little heat after it has been baked with some red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
- Meat. Use freshly made or leftover turkey instead. Be sure to check out our Turkey Tetrazzini too!
Can this be made ahead of time?
- We frequently make this chicken tetrazzini recipe ahead of time. Just make it as instructed except don’t top with the cheese or bake. Instead, cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours before adding the cheese and baking.
How to store chicken Tetrazzini?
- STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- FREEZE. Just make as instructed, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Just let thaw in the fridge overnight, toss it with a bit of fresh milk, add the cheese, and bake in the oven.
For more recipes:
Turkey Tetrazzini
45 mins
Chicken Penne Pasta
30 mins
Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
35 mins
White Sauce Penne Pasta
15 mins
Recipe was great. You might want to add when to add the chicken to the directions.
I’m happy to hear you liked the recipe. Also, step 3 says to combine the chicken with the soup, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, garlic salt, and pepper.
My family loves this! Especially my granddaughter
It’s always an extra win when kids love a recipe! I’m glad you all love it!
I made this just as the recipe said. I think I would next time put half of the mozzarella cheese mixed into the casserole and the remaining cheese on top. It was too top heavy with cheese for our liking and we would have enjoyed it throughout more so then just on the top. The flavor of the recipe is very good. Mushrooms and finely chopped celery would be my suggestion for added flavor. I will make it again. Thanks
You definitely could do that! I am glad you liked it! That’s what I love, is that you can add whatever you like to it! Thank you!
AMAZINGLY AWESOMRLY AMAZRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First recipe I ever tried from lil luna. Love the flavors and easy recipe. When I need to take a dinner to a neighbor or friend, this is my go to recipe. I love all of the other recipes too.
So so happy to hear that! Thank you for making the recipe. I’m glad it was a hit!
Is the nutritional information for the whole dish or just one serving size? Oh also I made this for my family last night and we loved it! Leftovers for tonight!
It would be for a serving size. This recipe says it serves 8, so if you divided the casserole into 8 portions, that would be the nutrition info. Chances are everything might be less if you had more than 8 servings from the dish. Hope that helps!
This recipe was pretty good. It would be good for a group meal. It should please most people. I was able to use leftovers of baked chicken and thin whole wheat spaghetti noodles (as a linguini substitute.) I did add drained peas and carrots (microwaved from frozen) and just a sprinking of panko for a little crunch on top. The main recipe can be tweaked as suggested in the notes. I was afraid all the soup and sour cream would be too much but it worked out just fine. A likely crowd pleaser I will probably make again.
This dish was absolutely fantastic!! But had to halve it as I am single but that was more than enough for myself a neighbor and a couple of servings for the freezer!!! I enjoy your website so much as the recipes are simple but impressive!!! Keep up the excellent work and enjoy all of that little family!!!!
Thank you so much!! So glad to hear you enjoyed the dish!
The 16 ounces of linguine is that before or after it is cooked?
Great taste, everyone enjoyed! Reduced chicken and used less pasta (the box was 14.5) otherwise made as written.