This Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe is pure comfort food, with a creamy, irresistible cheese sauce coating chicken and spaghetti.
author’s note
Simple, Creamy, and Totally Delicious!
A few months ago, I was trying to figure out what to do with all my leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and that’s when I created one of my all-time favorite dishes: turkey tetrazzini.
Fast forward to now, and I’ve got a big craving for it, but no turkey on hand. So, as you can guess, that’s how this chicken tetrazzini was born. And let me tell you, it’s absolutely irresistible.
Not only is it delicious, but it’s also super easy to make and incredibly family-friendly! It’s the perfect balance of protein and carbs, and it tastes just as amazing reheated, making it the ultimate dish for leftovers or a make-ahead dinner.
Quick Tip
What is Chicken Tetrazzini? A pasta dish featuring spaghetti, diced chicken, and a creamy cheese sauce, often baked with a breadcrumb topping.
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe Ingredients
- Spaghetti: Break in half before boiling.
- Butter: Use unsalted to control salt.
- Yellow Onion: Finely diced; use sweet onions for milder flavor.
- Garlic: Jarred is a quicker alternative.
- Flour: For thickening.
- Chicken Broth: Use low-sodium to manage salt.
- Half-and-Half: Offers a creamy texture with less fat than heavy cream.
- Cheese: Freshly grated for better melt and flavor.
- Chicken: Rotisserie for convenience; any cooked chicken works.
- Peas: Frozen works great — no need to thaw!
How To Make Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
- Cook Pasta: Boil spaghetti until just underdone, then drain and set aside.
- Sauté: In a large pot, melt butter and cook onion and garlic until soft.
- Make Sauce: Stir in flour, then slowly whisk in half-and-half until thick. Add chicken broth and seasonings.
- Add Cheese & Mix: Remove from heat and stir in half the cheese. Add cooked pasta, chicken, and peas.
- Assemble & Bake: Transfer to a baking dish, top with cheese and breadcrumbs, bake.
Storage
Leftovers?
- Make-Ahead: Prepare without Panko topping, don’t bake, refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add Panko topping right before baking and add 10-15 minutes to baking time.
- Freezing: Assemble without Panko topping, freeze up to 3 months, thaw overnight, bake with extra 10-15 minutes.
- Storing Leftovers: Cool, store in fridge in airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Tip: If you plan to have leftovers, only add Panko topping to what you’ll be eating.
What To Serve With Chicken Tetrazzini:
Salads
Italian Salad Recipe
Side Dishes
Roasted Vegetables
Appetizers
French Bread Recipe
Salads
Winter Fruit Salad
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
This Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe is amazing comfort food, with a creamy, irresistible cheese sauce coating seasoned rotisserie chicken and tender spaghetti. Shop the recipe here.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti break in half
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups half-and-half see note 1
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard optional
- 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 8 ounces
- 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled/cooked
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons butter, optional topping, see note 2
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Measure and set out half-and-half to get it to room temp. Grease a 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish. Bring 12 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp salt, cook broken spaghetti for 1 minute less than package instructions, drain, and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes until golden.
- Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle flour on top; stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups half-and-half, stirring until thickened (about 30 seconds). Pour in chicken broth, remaining half-and-half, and seasonings. Season with salt (start with 3/4 tsp) and pepper (start with 1/2 tsp). Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens enough to leave a tract on a spoon (see note 3).
- Off heat, stir in half the cheese (no need to fully melt). Add pasta, chicken, and peas; mix until coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (see note 4). Transfer to baking dish, top with remaining cheese and optional breadcrumb topping (see note 2). Bake for 20–25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Half-and-half is a blend of equal parts whole milk and cream. Substitute with half whole milk and half heavy cream if necessary.
Note 2: For the breadcrumb topping, either brown panko in butter on the stovetop in a skillet with 1/4 teaspoon salt or mix panko with melted butter (microwave) and salt, then sprinkle over casserole before baking.
Note 3: Sauce thickness should leave a trail (doesn’t rush to fill in the space). Whisk constantly to avoid flour settling and ensure even thickening. Doesn’t need to be ultra thick—sauce will thicken further upon adding pasta and chicken.
Note 4: For extra flavor, especially if using less seasoned chicken, try adding chicken bouillon powder (starting with 1/2 tsp at a time) to taste.
Storage: Let cool and store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3–5 days. If you plan to have leftovers, only add panko topping to what you’ll be eating. To freeze, assemble without panko topping, freeze up to 3 months, thaw overnight, and bake with extra 10–15 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.1g | Protein: 22.2g | Fat: 21.7g | Cholesterol: 79.6mg | Sodium: 607mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was delicious and so easy!!!!!! If you haven’t tried this yet do it! And the bread crumb topping just adds that delicious crunch. 10/10 recommend! Going in our dinner rotation
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Cassie! 🙂
This looks amazing. I have everything except the 1/2 and 1/2. I have heavy cream though. Do you think that will be way to heavy for this dish? I want to try this soon and avoid a grocery run if possible.
This came out great, everyone loved it. We roasted a whole turkey on Saturday and used the leftovers turkey meat instead of chicken and I made a soup out of the carcass and used turkey soup instead of chicken broth. Great Thanksgiving leftover recipe.
Delish! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much James! 🙂
Could you please add my son to your email list for your wonderful recipes?? Thank you so very much. Susan
Yes! Thanks so much Jason!