Chicken Tetrazzini! Welcome to the 90’s.
For our 5th recipe in the FABH series (that’s Feeding a Broken Heart and you can read more about that here), we are throwing it back to a recipe that tastes like my childhood. Which is funny, because I don’t necessarily remember my mom ever making Chicken Tetrazzini, but I do remember the word tetrazzini being thrown around in the context of creamy noodle dishes, and I do remember loving it.
According to Wiki, tetrazzini is “an American dish… in a butter/cream and Parmesan sauce… flavored with wine.” So yes, you did come to the right place today.
Hello and welcome.
Beyond butter and cream and Parmesan and wine, tetrazzini means something entirely more personal to me: it means that I have neighbors who love me.
It means that on a night not all that long ago, when I was slogging my way through some very low emotional territory, I experienced a really generous type of love. It meant I had a warm meal set in front of me that was heavy with sautéed mushrooms, roasted chicken meat, egg noodles, and creamy béchamel sauce – so basically, a food hug. It means that when the knocking at the back door started, and we flipped on the light to find friendly face with a very large foil pan in hand, I felt cared for in a very real and basic and important way. I felt seen.
The thing about tetrazzini is that it has the potential to make you wonder if it’s going to be good. I mean, it definitely has that casserole vibe that can sometimes be off-putting and mysterious in a scary way. I totally hear you on that.
But both when my neighbor brought this over for us, and when I made it again based on their recipe (which they kindly and adorably photocopied and dropped off in our mail slot – thank you Joanne!), I was excitedly surprised that I am still a child of the 90’s, and yes indeed – I DO actually love this recipe, casserole vibes and all.
Something about the silky egg noodles (I copied my neighbors and used ones that are long and straight, like fettuccine) with the meaty mushrooms and the beauty that is a roasted pulled chicken… all of it broiled together under a crown of just-browned Parmesan has the power to work healing magic on broken and bruised hearts.
It also makes for a very large pan which makes for very long-lasting leftovers which makes for happy bellies on lazy nights when all you can really do is Netflix in jammies.
Said like someone who knows.
P.S. And if you’re someone who is not so into mushrooms, this creamy chicken lasagna bake has very similar vibes.
Chicken tetrazzini, my friends. The time is now.
Three More Comforting Pasta Bakes
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Chicken Tetrazzini
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Chicken Tetrazzini: egg noodles, sautéed mushrooms, roast chicken all baked together with a béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken Tetrazzini:
- one 3-pound rotisserie chicken, meat pulled and shredded
- 1 pound cooked egg noodles (I like the Alberto’s brand)
- 1 pound sliced mushrooms, sautéed
- 3–4 cups tetrazzini sauce (see below)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Tetrazzini Sauce:
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 cups milk or cream (I used 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 cup whole milk, but I think half and half would also work)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (more as needed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the ingredients – pull the chicken, cook the noodles, sauté the mushrooms.
- Sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until incorporated. Cook for a few minutes to remove the floury taste. Slowly add the milk and broth, a little bit at a time, whisking after each addition until you get a nice, smooth, thickened sauce. Season with salt and stir in the wine. Taste and adjust – more salt, more wine, more broth to thin the sauce, etc.
- Assemble: Toss the noodles with about a cup of sauce. In a greased 9×13 pan, layer: sauced-up noodles, mushrooms, half of sauce, chicken, remaining half of sauce, and Parmesan.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes until melty and bubbly. Broil for 5 minutes to get the top browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste for serving. YUM-O.
Notes
Sprinkle with parsley when it comes out of the oven if you want to be fancy about it!
If making ahead, undercook the noodles a bit and assemble everything, but do not bake. It should freeze beautifully.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chicken tetrazzini, egg noodles with mushrooms, homemade chicken tetrazzini
One more word quick? Thanks for participating with us in the FABH challenge. Really, honestly, you guys are the best. Our hearts are healing, day by day, but they are still heavy and sad as we grieve deeply for the loss of our son Afton. This series helps me move forward – back into “work” – with purpose and hope. I’m also so grateful that you are showing up for the people in your lives who need it. YOU ARE STARS.
This series is more than halfway done and we would love to have you join us – you can read more about the challenge here.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our coziest comfort food recipes page. Check it out!
You do have loving neighbors-I think cooking for you might feel intimidating! I pray for you every time I pop on your blog to see how you are doing. Take Care.
Looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing so many great recipes!
Lauren
http://www.darlingindenim.com
Gah now I wish my oven wasn’t broken!
This looks so yummy! I’m glad your neighbors love you! Take care and here’s an internet hug for you ( ) (ok, maybe there are better symbols to use?)
oh my gosh this recipe brings me back…my mom use to make this all the time for my family. After Thanksgiving, we’d have Turkey Tetrazzini for weeks. Thanks for sharing!!
I love how you used a rotisserie chicken here. Big time saver and those don’t have as much yucky parts, plus I hate dealing with raw chicken and this speeds everything up. No time to cook today, bought myself some clothes on Craigslist and I’m going to pick them up. Hope they work out!
I’m just confused because the top of this dish looks like there’s more cheese than just that 1/4 cup parm? It looks like there’s mozz on the top. It seems too creamy and cheesy for it to just have that little amount of cheese. I don’t want to mess this up! That can’t be the cream sauce, can it?
YUM! I totally forgot about tetrazinni! I used to eat hamburger helper tuna tetrazinni all the time! Throw back for sure!
Also, I love this series a lot!
Sometime shortly after the new year I (randomly when following a recipe link) came across your post from your first day as a full-time blogger. You were soooo incredibly excited and happy about it, and my heart broke a little for you thinking about how you could ever find a new “normal” in your blog after sharing such raw, emotional content. So I guess this comment is just to share that I’m so glad to see this FABH series, and hoping you’re finding just the smallest light at the end of the tunnel 🙂
Sending you heartfelt (((hugs))). I have a “nose memory” of this. It must be from a long time ago, as I don’t think I have ever made it. I have printed the recipe and plan on making the memory a recent one, very soon.
That looks delicious👌🏻thanks for sharing the recipe
Aljazy
LOVE your recipes! I just read and dream — need nutritional facts to actually make and promote you!!
Yuuuuuummmmm!! Pinned 🙂
This looks like the perfect dish to make for a dear friend of mine that is recovering from cancer. I think she will love the change up from all the macaroni and cheese I’ve been making her. (the mac&cheese was per her request!)
Can you give instructions for cooking if frozen? I’d like to give this to a friend who is a new mom, but does not cook at all! I want to include the directions and give it in a disposable pan, so I’m not sure if that would change the cooking time/temp. Thanks!
This looks so delicious!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/organic-roasted-cauliflower-grocery-outlet/
This looks amazing – thank you for sharing!
P.S. Love your scarf! 🙂
Hi Lindsay! I have been following your blog for a few years, back when you and Bjork went to the Philippines. I love all your recipes and I am so happy to hear you are finding your new normal. I’m going to make one of these recipes to share this weekend for a friend with a broken heart. Lots of love from Canada.
I was literally asking my mom for the chicken Tetrazzini recipe we grew up eating, but she couldn’t find it. This is perfect!!
Beautiful comfort food dish!! Very nice (:
Tetrazzini is also a great way to enjoy leftover turkey after Thanksgiving or Christmas. My recipe is quite different, so I might need to give this version a try.
Looks absolutely Amazing!
take care of yourself!
xx
https://charlieslifeandfood.wordpress.com
It looks so yummy!!
Hi, Its look delicious. Your recipes always surprised me. You make very different and unique type of recipes. Such a, I am a fan of your recipes. Today dinner, I have made it and gave a surprise to my husband.
Looks like I’m the only person to actually try this recipe and comment on it. 3 stars. Bechamel sauce is pretty bland, so overall not much flavor. The chicken meat (already overcooked as it came from a supermarket rotisserie) gets even more overcooked with 30 min at 350 and esp 5 more under the broiler. Enhancement idea – layer the chickey more in the bottom of the pan so it has a chance of staying more moist buried in the sauce.
Thanks for the feedback, John!
I took your suggestion and added seasonings and layered differently. I used 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp salt. I also cooked my own chicken and layered it chicken, noodles, mushrooms, sauce, parmesan. It came out perfectly. Thank you for the suggestions!
I love a good casserole! Am wondering if anyone has tried this with a gluten-free pasta or quinoa? I am trying to reduce wheat in my diet.
SpecialK , I was thinking the same thing…The supermarkets now have non-gluten pasta and noodles so it shouldn’t be a problem…. Or how about just using cauliflower ….