This quick and easy Chicken Tetrazzini recipe which I am sharing with you today is one that you can easily serve to a large group or divide into two casseroles. You can serve one today and freeze the other for use at a later date. Who doesn’t love having something readymade in the freezer for those days when we are busier than normal and just don’t have the time to cook!
Not only is this a great meal that you can easily prepare from store cupboard ingredients, but it is also a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. You can also use the meat from a purchased rotisserie chicken.
Another bonus is that you can completely make this tasty casserole ahead of time. Simply assemble and cover, popping it into the refrigerator overnight, ready to bake for supper on the next day. I can assure you completely that Chicken Tetrazzini recipe will result in one dish where you will not have anyone complaining about having to eat leftovers!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO COOK THIS CHICKEN TETRAZZINI RECIPE
The good news is that you will not really need anything too much out of the ordinary to cook this fabulous recipe. It is composed of simple ingredients put together easily in a most delicious way!
| INGREDIENTS |
| 1 (16-oz) package of linguine pasta |
| 4 cups cooked shredded chicken |
| 1 (10 ¾ oz) tin of cream of chicken soup, undiluted |
| 1 (10 ¾ oz) tin of cream of mushroom soup, undiluted |
| 1 (16 ounce) container of dairy sour cream |
| 1/3 cup of butter, melted |
| ½ cup chicken broth |
| ½ tsp salt |
| ½ tsp black pepper |
| ¼ tsp garlic powder |
| ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese |
| 2 tsp dried parsley |
HINTS & TIPS FOR MAKING THIS CHICKEN TETRAZZINI RECIPE
Here are my sure fire hints and tips to make your Chicken Tetrazzini the absolute best ever!
- Read through the recipe twice, and then assemble all of the ingredients and equipment you will need for the recipe. This will help to prevent the costly mistake of leaving out an important step or ingredient later on.
- Make sure you cook your pasta in a large pot of salted water. I add about 1/2 TBS of fine sea salt to the water. I add the pasta whole and then bend it down slowly to fit into the pot as it softens. That way you end up with perfectly long strands.
- Do not add your pasta to the water until it comes to a complete rolling boil.
- Do not start counting the cook time until the water comes completely back to the boil.
- Stir the pasta frequently while it is cooking so that it does not clump together or stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Some people add a tablespoon of oil to the water. You can do this if you wish, but I really find that it doesn’t make much difference.
- If you leave your wooden spoon/utensil perched on the edge of your saucepan, it will not boil over. I am not sure how or why this works, only that it does.
- Cook your pasta to the al dente stage according to the package directions. Since the pasta will be cooking further in the sauce in the oven you do not want your pasta to be over cooked and mushy.
- Drain your pasta well and then rinse it under cold water and drain again. This helps to prevent it from cooking further and it should keep it from sticking together. If you like, at this stage you can toss it together with a bit of olive oil to help prevent the strands from sticking together.
- This will not be necessary if you have already stirred together all of the sauce ingredients so that you can drain the pasta and stir it right into them.
- Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold them and the pasta once mixed.
- I like to shred my cooked chicken for this dish. Not only does it look better but the shredded strands work better with the shape of the pasta.
- I recommend that you grate your own cheese to use in the recipe. Companies add ingredients to already shredded cheese to help it flow easier. These ingredients could impair the integrity of your Chicken Tetrazzini.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TETRAZZINI
You cannot get much easier than this recipe. It is a matter of simply stirring together a few ingredients, spreading them into a casserole dish, topping and baking. For another idea of how to mix chicken and pasta, try this buffalo chicken pasta recipe!
Preheat your oven to 300*F. Butter either a large shallow casserole dish (to feed a larger group) or two smaller dishes (If you are baking one to freeze.) and set aside.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. There is no need to break up your pasta. Add it whole to the boiling water and then using your hands and a spoon, fold it down gently as it begins to soften it will naturally bend and in hardly any time at all, it will all fit into the pan beneath the water. Cook the pasta at a full boil, according to the package directions for the time that it will take to be cooked al dente.
Drain the pasta well, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
Whisk together both soups, the sour cream, melted butter, stock, seasonings, and chicken in a bowl until well combined. Add the cooked pasta and stir well together so that everything is evenly mixed.
Spread this mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish (s). Combine the two cheeses and sprinkle evenly over top of the casserole (s).
Cover the casserole tightly with a sheet of aluminium foil. If you are afraid that the cheese will stick to the foil, you can butter the foil on the underside. At this point I like to place it onto a baking sheet for ease of inserting and removing it from the oven.
Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
Note: You can prep the casserole the night before serving. Do not bake it, cover with foil and place in the refrigerator. Remove it about half an hour prior to baking it. If you are making two smaller casseroles, cover one with cheese, wrap it securely in freezer wrap, and you can keep it in the freezer for several months. Make sure you identify it by writing on a label placed on top of the foil (or a piece of masking tape) what is in the dish. To serve, remove from the refrigerator the night before and allow to thaw out overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as above.
SUGGESTIONS FOR SERVING CHICKEN TETRAZZINI
We always enjoy a tossed salad with this easy and delicious casserole. Simply toss some torn or broken lettuce (or a mix of baby greens), along with some chopped cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, and green onions. Mix together a simple vinaigrette of ¼ cup of salad or olive oil, 2 TBS of vinegar, ½ tsp dried mustard powder, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. You can easily adapt this simple vinaigrette dressing by adding some garlic powder, fresh or dried herbs and even a TBS of mayonnaise.
Crusty bread spread with butter or slices of garlic bread also go very well with this Chicken Tetrazzini recipe. To make an easy garlic bread, cream together a quantity of butter along with some garlic powder or Italian garlic seasoning to taste. Spread this on slices of bread or halves of French bread. Scatter with a bit of grated cheese and pop into a hot oven for several minutes until crisp and golden brown.
No matter what you choose to serve with this simple and delicious casserole, one thing is for certain. Your family is sure to love it. This is a recipe which was immensely popular when I was growing up. It has certainly stood the test of time, as it remains just as appealing in these modern days as it was back then!
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
This is a deliciously super make-ahead meal. You can divide the mixture into two casseroles and freeze one as well for a later date.
Ingredients
- 1 (16-oz) package of linguine pasta
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 (10 ¾ oz) tin of cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 1 (10 ¾ oz) tin of cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 (16 ounce) container of dairy sour cream
- 1/3 cup of butter, melted
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300*F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch shallow baking dish. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain well.
- Stir both soups, the sour cream, melted butter, broth, seasoning, garlic powder and chicken together in a large bowl.
- Stir in the cooked linguine, making sure everything is evenly mixed together. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Mix together the grated cheeses and sprinkle this mixture evenly over top of the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle with parsley. Cover tightly with aluminium foil.
- Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, a which time the cheese should be melted, and the casserole should be bubbly.
Notes
You can make the casserole in advance, cover and store in the refrigerator. You can also divide it into two smaller casseroles and wrap one for freezing prior to cooking it. If baking it straight from the refrigerator, add a few minutes of baking time to the total. If frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as above.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400
Marie Rayner is a retired Chef, freelance writer, recipe developer, food blogger, and Cookbook author. She makes her home in Chester, UK, where she lives with her husband, Todd, and their much beloved English Cocker, Mitzie. Her motto is “Life is far too short to eat bad food,” and her goal is to share delicious and easy recipes which anyone can enjoy and cook in the comfort of their own home.
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