Chicken Tetrazzini
Chicken Tetrazzini is the great American casserole: spaghetti, shredded chicken, and browned mushrooms folded into a silky parmesan cream sauce, then baked under a golden mozzarella-panko crust. The trick is a slightly loose, well-seasoned sauce and pasta pulled two minutes shy of al dente, so everything finishes cooking in the oven instead of drying out. It comes out bubbling at the edges, creamy in the middle, and crunchy on top — ideal for leftover roast or rotisserie chicken.
Boil 340 g (12 oz) spaghetti two minutes short of al dente and drain. Brown 340 g (12 oz) sliced mushrooms with a diced onion in butter, add garlic, then stir in 45 g (6 tbsp) flour and cook one minute. Whisk in 720 ml (3 cups) chicken broth, 240 ml (1 cup) milk, and 120 ml (1/2 cup) cream; simmer until it coats a spoon, then stir in parmesan, a splash of dry sherry, salt, and pepper. Fold in the pasta, 450 g (3 cups) shredded cooked chicken, and 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas, scrape into a buttered 9 x 13-inch dish, top with mozzarella and buttered panko, and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
- Undercook the spaghetti by 2 minutes — it soaks up sauce in the oven and lands perfectly tender, never mushy.
- Make the sauce looser than seems right; it should just coat a spoon. A thick sauce on the stove means a dry casserole out of the oven.
- Brown the mushrooms hard before adding onion so they release and re-absorb their liquid — that concentrated savoriness carries the whole dish.
Equipment
- Large pot for pasta
- 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven
- 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13-inch) baking dish
- Whisk
- Colander
- Box grater
Ingredientes
Casserole base
- 340 g spaghetti or linguine
- 450 g cooked chicken, shredded, rotisserie or leftover roast chicken works well
- 340 g cremini mushrooms, sliced, white button mushrooms are fine too
- yellow onion, finely diced, medium
- garlic cloves, minced
- 150 g frozen peas, no need to thaw
Sauce
- 85 g unsalted butter
- 45 g all-purpose flour
- 720 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 240 ml whole milk
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 60 ml dry sherry or dry white wine, optional; substitute more broth
- 50 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 6 g fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Topping
- 115 g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 25 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 30 g panko breadcrumbs
- 15 g unsalted butter, melted, for the panko
- 8 g fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Preparação
- PASSO01
Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and butter a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13-inch) baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti 2 minutes less than the package's al dente time. Drain, toss with a small drizzle of oil so it doesn't clump, and set aside.
- PASSO02
Melt 2 tablespoons (30 g) of the sauce butter in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring only occasionally, until their liquid evaporates and they're deeply browned, 6-7 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Scrape everything into a bowl.
- PASSO03
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons (55 g) butter in the same pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute to lose the raw taste. Gradually whisk in the broth, then the milk and cream, whisking out any lumps. Simmer gently, stirring, until the sauce just coats the back of a spoon, 4-5 minutes — it should still be pourable.
- PASSO04
Off the heat, stir in the sherry (if using), the 50 g (1/2 cup) parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste — it should be assertively seasoned, since the pasta and chicken will dilute it. Adjust with more salt if needed.
- PASSO05
Return the mushroom mixture to the pan (or use a very large bowl) and add the drained spaghetti, shredded chicken, and frozen peas. Pour the sauce over and toss with tongs until every strand is coated. Transfer to the buttered baking dish and spread evenly.
- PASSO06
Scatter the mozzarella and remaining parmesan over the top. Toss the panko with the melted butter and sprinkle it evenly over the cheese. Bake uncovered on the middle rack until the edges bubble and the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. If the crumbs need more color, broil for the final 1-2 minutes, watching closely.
- PASSO07
Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes so the sauce settles and thickens to a creamy, scoopable consistency. Shower with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Make ahead
Assemble the casserole up to 24 hours ahead: complete everything through topping, but hold the buttered panko. Cover and refrigerate, then add the panko just before baking and give it an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven since it starts cold. Make the sauce slightly looser than usual, as the pasta keeps absorbing liquid as it sits.
Storage
Cool completely, then refrigerate airtight for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or cover the dish with foil and warm at 165°C (325°F) for 20-25 minutes; stir in a splash of milk or broth first to bring back the creaminess. For the freezer, wrap tightly and freeze baked or unbaked for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or baking.
Variations
Turkey Tetrazzini
Swap in an equal weight of shredded roast turkey — this is the classic day-after-Thanksgiving move. Dark meat stays juiciest; add an extra splash of broth if the turkey is on the dry side, and a pinch of dried thyme in the sauce echoes the holiday flavors.
Gluten-free
Use gluten-free spaghetti (undercook it by 3 minutes, as GF pasta softens fast in the oven), thicken the sauce with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or 3 tablespoons cornstarch whisked into the cold milk, and top with gluten-free panko. Confirm your broth is certified gluten-free.
Extra-savory mushroom and bacon
Render 115 g (4 oz) chopped bacon first and brown the mushrooms in the drippings, then fold the crisp bacon in with the chicken. Trade the sherry for a teaspoon of Dijon in the sauce for a deeper, smokier take.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Perguntas frequentes
Can I make chicken tetrazzini with rotisserie chicken?
Yes — rotisserie chicken is arguably the best shortcut here. One average bird yields about 450 g (3 cups) of shredded meat, exactly what this recipe needs. Because the chicken is already fully cooked and seasoned, it only needs to heat through in the oven, and the mix of white and dark meat keeps the casserole moist.
Why did my chicken tetrazzini come out dry?
Almost always one of three things: the sauce was too thick going into the oven, the pasta was fully cooked before baking, or it baked too long. The sauce should barely coat a spoon on the stove — the pasta drinks up a surprising amount of liquid as it bakes. Pull the spaghetti 2 minutes early, and take the dish out as soon as the edges bubble and the top is golden.
Can I freeze chicken tetrazzini?
Chicken tetrazzini freezes well for up to 3 months, either baked or assembled-but-unbaked. For the best texture, freeze it unbaked without the panko topping, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add fresh buttered panko, and bake as directed plus about 10 extra minutes. Cream sauces can look slightly separated after thawing; a gentle stir before topping brings them back.
What pasta works best for tetrazzini?
Long strands are traditional — spaghetti or linguine broken in half is easiest to portion and toss. That said, short shapes like penne or rotini work fine and are easier for kids to eat. Whatever you choose, undercook it slightly; the shape matters far less than pulling it before al dente so it finishes in the oven.
Can I skip the sherry or wine?
Absolutely. The 60 ml (1/4 cup) of dry sherry adds a subtle nutty depth that nods to the dish's early-1900s hotel-kitchen origins, but the casserole is still excellent without it. Replace it with an equal amount of chicken broth, and if you want a little extra brightness, finish the sauce with a teaspoon of lemon juice instead.
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