Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini is made with creamy béchamel sauce, tender chicken, and pasta, all baked under a crunchy crumb topping. This simple casserole is ready in under an hour or can be made ahead or frozen.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings (1 cup each)
Calories 336 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the topping:

  • 2 slices high-quality sandwich bread lightly toasted (see note 1)
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted

For the casserole:

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper (see note 2)
  • 8 ounces spaghetti broken in half (see note 3)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • hot sauce to taste, optional (see note 2)
  • 2 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (see note 4)
  • 1 cup frozen peas

Instructions
 

  • Tear the slices into 2-inch pieces. In a food processor, process the pieces until finely ground. In a small bowl, add bread crumbs and melted butter and toss until evenly coated. Set aside.
  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
  • Return the same large pot to medium-high heat and melt butter until foaming. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
  • Stir in flour and cook until golden, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Whisk in broth and half and half. Bring to a simmer and continue to whisk until sauce thickens, about 1 minute longer. 
  • Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce if desired. Do not skip this step or your casserole may be bland!
  • To the pot with sauce, add cooked pasta, chicken and frozen peas, and toss to combine. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumb topping. 
  • Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping has browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

  1. Bread: Or substitute 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs for the sliced, toasted bread. Combine with the butter as directed in Step 1.
  2. Salt and pepper: If you don't season the sauce before you add back the noodles, your casserole will be bland! Taste the sauce and season it until you LOVE IT. Now's a good time to add hot sauce or red pepper flakes if that's your thing.
  3. Spaghetti: Any pasta will do, but I prefer a long-stranded pasta: linguine, or fettuccine, snapped in half while uncooked for easy serving.
  4. Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken from the weekend, or poached chicken, shredded or cut up.
  5. Yield: This recipe makes about 2 quarts of casserole, enough for 8 servings, 1 cup each.
  6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  7. Make ahead: This casserole can be made up to two days ahead. Assemble it, pour it into the baking dish, but don't add the breadcrumbs or bake. Instead, wrap it up and store it in the fridge. add the breadcrumbs when ready to bake.
  8. Freezer: Just cover, wrap, and freeze it before baking. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake in a 400 degree oven until the temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 336kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 19gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 387mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 606IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken casserole, chicken tetrazzini
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