Chicken Tetrazzini (creamy chicken mushroom pasta bake)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Servings
8 people
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Calories
669 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Chicken Tetrazzini (creamy chicken mushroom pasta bake)
Description
Chicken Tetrazzini brings together cooked spaghetti with a creamy sauce enriched by butter, flour, milk, cream, and chicken stock. Mushrooms, garlic, and onions are sautéed to provide depth of flavor, while chicken thighs are seared for a golden exterior before being chopped and mixed into the sauce. The use of chicken thighs helps keep the meat moist during baking.
The sauce thickens over heat, then combines with chicken and pasta before being topped with shredded cheese and baked in the oven at 160°C (325°F). This gentle baking melts the cheese and allows flavors to meld, yielding a tender pasta bake that's both saucy and cheesy.
Serve this pasta bake warm for a comforting main dish. It works well with firm long pasta shapes like spaghetti, penne, or ziti, and the moderate seasoning balances richness with savory notes from the mushrooms and chicken.
The recipe includes notes on ingredient substitutions, storage for up to 4 days, and make-ahead and freezing recommendations to maintain quality after baking.
Ingredients
- 500g / 1lb spaghetti penne, macaroni, ziti ok too) (Note 1, or other long pasta, cooked per packet
Chicken
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter
- 500g / 1lb chicken thighs , skinless boneless (Note 2)
Creamy Sauce
- 4 tbsp (60g) butter , unsalted
- 500g / 1lb mushrooms , sliced 1/2 cm / 1/5" thick
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk , any fat, any type
- 1 cup cream , heavy / thickened (sub more milk)
- 2 cups chicken stock low sodium (or water + 2 stock cubes, or broth
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups cheese , shredded (cheddar, jack, colby - not mozz)
Instructions
Sear chicken
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large pot over high heat. Add chicken, sprinkle with pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 1 1/2 minutes until golden.
- Turn chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute until golden then remove onto plate - doesn't need to be fully cooked (will cook more in oven).
- Rest 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces, or shred.
Sauce & pasta
- Preheat oven to 160°C / 325°F.
- Cook mushrooms: Melt 4 tbsp butter over high heat in the same pot. Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes until starting to go floppy but not yet golden.
- Add onion: Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes until mushrooms are golden. Add a pinch of salt and pepper halfway through.
- Add flour & milk: Turn heat down to medium. Add flour. Stir for 30 seconds. Add milk and stir for 10 seconds or until it thickens (see video at 52 sec).
- Add cream and broth: Add chicken stock, cream, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir, then let the mixture heat up, stirring every now and then so it doesn't catch on the base, and cook until the sauce thickens enough so you can draw a path on the back of the spoon (video at 1.04). Do not make it very thick - it gets thicker in next steps.
- Add cheese & pasta: Turn stove off. Stir through half the cheese (will melt in oven), then add pasta and chicken. Toss to mix, taste and add more salt if needed.
- Bake: Pour into 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" pan, smooth surface. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Use long pasta like spaghetti, penne, macaroni, or ziti; avoid small pastas like risoni/orzo as they lack volume here.
- Chicken thighs retain juiciness best, but breasts or tenderloin can be used if preferred.
- Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat thoroughly.
- To freeze, cool pasta and sauce separately, combine, and bake from frozen covered for 50 minutes, then uncovered until golden.
- For a lighter dish, substitute cream with more milk or reduce cheese, using parmesan for stronger flavor.
- Butter can be replaced with margarine or olive oil, and flour with any type of flour or cornstarch for gluten-free.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 669 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 669cal | 33% |
| Carbohydrates | 58g | 19% |
| Protein | 34g | 68% |
| Fat | 34g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Cholesterol | 155mg | 52% |
| Sodium | 955mg | 40% |
| Potassium | 708mg | 15% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 1141IU | 23% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 328mg | 33% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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