Chicken Tetrazzini
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
8 servings (1 cup each)
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Calories
336 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Chicken Tetrazzini
Description
This Chicken Tetrazzini recipe starts by cooking spaghetti until al dente, then cooling it to stop cooking. A sauce is made by sautéing onions, garlic, and fresh thyme in butter, then stirring in flour to make a roux. Chicken broth and half and half are whisked in and simmered until thickened before Parmesan cheese is added for richness and depth. The sauce is seasoned with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and optional hot sauce to taste.
Cooked chicken and frozen peas are stirred into the sauce along with the drained spaghetti. The mixture is transferred to a casserole dish and topped with toasted bread crumbs mixed with melted butter, adding a crunchy contrast to the creamy filling once baked. The casserole is baked until heated through and the topping is golden.
Chicken Tetrazzini serves well as a comforting main dish for gatherings or family dinners. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to four days, and the recipe accommodates various cooked chicken types like rotisserie or grilled. Using long pasta broken in half makes serving easier.
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 2 lices sandwich bread lightly toasted (see note 1, high-quality
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
For the casserole:
- salt see note 2, freshly ground
- black pepper see note 2, freshly ground
- 8 ounces spaghetti broken in half (see note 3)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme minced fresh
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- hot sauce to taste, optional (see note 2)
- 2 cups chicken chopped or shredded (see note 4, cooked
- 1 cup peas frozen
Instructions
- Tear the slices into 2-inch pieces. In a food processor, process the pieces until finely ground. In a small bowl, add bread crumbs and melted butter and toss until evenly coated. Set aside.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Return the same large pot to medium-high heat and melt butter until foaming. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in flour and cook until golden, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Whisk in broth and half and half. Bring to a simmer and continue to whisk until sauce thickens, about 1 minute longer.
- Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce if desired. Do not skip this step or your casserole may be bland!
- To the pot with sauce, add cooked pasta, chicken and frozen peas, and toss to combine. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumb topping.
- Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping has browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Substitute bread crumbs for the toasted bread topping if preferred, mixing with melted butter as directed.
- Season the sauce well after it thickens to avoid blandness; hot sauce or red pepper flakes can be added for extra flavor.
- Use leftover cooked chicken such as rotisserie or grilled, shredded or chopped.
- Long pasta like linguine or fettuccine snapped in half works well for serving.
- This recipe yields about 2 quarts, enough for 8 servings of 1 cup each.
- Store leftover casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings (1 cup each)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 336 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 cup | |
| Calories | 336kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 33g | 11% |
| Protein | 19g | 38% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 43mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 349mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 387mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 606IU | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 135mg | 14% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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