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Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini

Classic Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

This beloved comfort food classic layers tender shredded chicken with earthy mushrooms in a rich, wine-laced cream sauce. The final touch — golden breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan — creates the perfect contrast to the silky pasta beneath.

AmericanDinnerComfort FoodMeal PrepOne PotBakingChicken
Prep30 min
Cook45 min
Total1 hr 15 min
Servings8
Difficultymedium

Ingredients

  • 9 tbspunsalted butter
  • 2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6 oz each
  • 2¼ tspkosher salt, divided
  • 1¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 1 lbwhite button mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 5 clovegarlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbspfresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
  • ½ cupdry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
  • ⅓ cupall-purpose flour
  • 4 cupwhole milk, brought to room temperature
  • 1 cupheavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • 1 cuplow-sodium chicken broth
  • ⅛ tspfreshly grated nutmeg
  • 12 ozlinguine pasta
  • ¾ cupfrozen peas, no need to thaw
  • ¼ cupfresh Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cuppanko-style Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. Crank your oven to 450°F and take 1 tablespoon of butter to grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish thoroughly — this prevents sticking and adds extra richness to the bottom layer.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Season the chicken breasts all over with 0.5 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then cook them 4 minutes per side until deeply golden and the internal temperature hits 165°F. Move to a plate to cool, then use two forks to shred into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
    ⏱ 8 min
  3. Add another tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same skillet and toss in the sliced mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat until their liquid evaporates and they turn golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic, and thyme, then continue cooking until the onion becomes translucent and soft, about 8 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble until completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape everything into the bowl with the chicken.
    ⏱ 11 min
  4. Lower the heat to medium-low and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the same skillet. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes — this cooks out the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, and remaining salt and pepper. Bump the heat up to high, cover, and bring to a boil, then uncover and simmer while whisking frequently until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
    ⏱ 12 min
  5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the linguine and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's tender but still has a slight bite — about 9 minutes or according to package directions. Drain well.
    ⏱ 9 min
  6. Combine the drained linguine, cream sauce, peas, and parsley with the chicken and mushroom mixture. Toss everything together until every strand of pasta is coated and the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.
  7. Spoon the mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. In a small bowl, toss together the Parmesan and breadcrumbs, then sprinkle this mixture over the top. Dot the surface with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, then bake uncovered until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling vigorously, about 25 minutes.
    ⏱ 25 min