Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

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Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole is a rich and creamy dish made with tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, vegetables, all baked in a delicious sauce. Made with pantry ingredients, this is a budget friendly dish the whole family will love.

Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole is a delicious go-to comfort food recipe. Easy to make with a creamy sauce is always a hit in my house.

An easy meal, that is budget friendly, means it’s the perfect dinner idea for a busy weeknight.

In under an hour, and full of juicy chicken, aromatic veggies, and tender pasta, this dish can be on your dinner table. Complete with a creamy sauce and crunchy breadcrumb topping.

Not only that, it’s freezer-friendly! So, be sure to make two and freeze one for later. You never know when you will need a cheesy baked chicken casserole!

Check out my tuna tetrazzini if you want to try a different version.

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Ingredients Needed

• Spaghetti – I like regular spaghetti noodles but you can use your favorite.
• Chicken – Any cooked chicken. I like to use a rotisserie chicken for even more flavor.
• Veggies – Onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms
• Garlic – Fresh minced is best.
• Spaghetti sauce – This is optional. You can use your favorite condensed cream soup.
• Cream of chicken soup – You can use one can of chicken and one can of mushroom if you like.
• Heavy cream – Substitute coconut cream or half and half.
• Cream cheese – regular, fat free, or low fat will work.
• Shredded cheese – I like cheddar but use your favorite.
• Pantry staples – Heavy cream, unsalted butter, seasoned breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, black pepper.

How to make Chicken Tetrazzini

1. Cook the noodles al dente, according to package directions. Drain, reserving a little pasta water.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° and spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan and cook the onions and garlic for 4 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, celery and bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms and saute for an additional 4 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken, spaghetti sauce, cream of chicken soup, heavy cream, and the cream cheese.  Stir till combined.
6. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss till combined.  If you want it a little bit saucier, add a little bit of the spaghetti water.
7. Spread the  spaghetti out in the pan and sprinkle with the cheese.
8. Melt the remaining butter and stir into the bread crumbs. 
9. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs.
10. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the topping is nicely browned.
11. Remove and serve with your favorite side dish.

For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Can I make it ahead of time?

You can make this a few days ahead of time in a couple of ways. Prep the pasta and make the sauce. Store them separately in the refrigerator for up to three days. Then assemble and bake when ready.

If you want to get most of the prep work done, prepare the casserole up to the baking step. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in advance.

When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking while the oven is preheating.

Freezing an unbaked casserole also works. Just be sure to wrap with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil.

Store for up to 1 month before baking. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap before baking.

Can I freeze chicken tetrazzini?

You can make the casserole, bake it, and then freeze it for up to 3 months. Just be sure to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bakings.

Bake at 350F. for 20 minutes or until bubbly and warmed through.

Best Casserole Tips

• Be sure to cook the noodles “al dente” which means “to the tooth.” In simple terms it means that the noodles are still firm and not mushy. The best way to do this is to cook the noodles 1-2 minutes under the recommended cooking time.
• If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out a little with some of the pasta cooking water. The starch in it will keep it from being runny.
• Other recipes don’t use tomato sauce in a tetrazzini recipe so it may seem weird but it really works! If you prefer not to use it, just substitute the amount for more condensed cream soup.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, pin this to your favorite casserole Pinterest board and share it on your favorite social media channels!

Craving more casseroles?

• Tuna Tetrazzini Casserole
• Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
• Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
• Simple and Easy Ground Beef Casserole
• Vegetable Casserole (with Veg-All)

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