From-Scratch Chicken Tetrazzini

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This chicken tetrazzini is baked spaghetti, shredded chicken, and mushrooms in a cream sauce that starts on the stove. I cook the mushrooms until the pan is dry before the flour goes in, because leftover liquid is what thins the sauce in the oven. I set the pan next to a slice of golden garlic bread, or a scoop of classic coleslaw if I want something cold against the bake.

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) spaghetti or linguine
• 3 cups (about 12 oz / 340 g) shredded cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb (450 g) cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (60 ml) dry sherry or dry white wine
• 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups (480 ml) half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• ½ cup (30 g) panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Heat the oven and cook the pasta: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti 2 minutes less than the package al dente time. Scoop out ½ cup of the pasta water, drain the noodles, and leave them in the colander without rinsing.
2. Brown the mushrooms dry: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and leave them alone for 3 minutes so the first side takes color. Stir and keep cooking until the liquid they give off has evaporated and the pan looks dry, 7 to 9 minutes total. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt, cook 3 minutes until the onion is translucent, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds and scrape everything onto a plate.
3. Build the cream sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it smells nutty and looks pale gold. Whisk in the sherry, scraping the brown bits off the pan, then add the broth a splash at a time so the sauce stays smooth. Stir in the half-and-half, lemon juice, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until it coats a spoon but still pours like heavy cream, not gravy.
4. Toss and top: Add the pasta, chicken, mushroom mixture, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan to the skillet and toss until every strand is coated. The mix should look a little loose; if it already looks tight, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water. Spread it in the baking dish. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, toss it with the panko and the rest of the Parmesan, and scatter that over the top.
5. Bake, then rest: Cover the dish with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 12 to 15 minutes more, until the edges bubble and the panko is golden. Rest 10 minutes so the sauce thickens enough to scoop instead of running, then finish with the parsley.

If the tetrazzini turns dry or watery

• A tight, pasty bake means the sauce went in looking like gravy, or the pasta was already fully cooked. The sauce should pour like heavy cream, and the spaghetti still needs 2 minutes of bite left.
• A watery pan means the mushrooms were still wet when the flour went in. Keep cooking them until the skillet looks dry and they take on color. That liquid has to leave the pan on the stove, not in the oven.
• A pale, flat sauce usually means you skipped the brown bits. Don’t wash the skillet after the mushrooms. The sherry is there to pull that fond into the sauce.
• A rubbery cheese lid comes from a thick mozzarella blanket left uncovered too long. This topping is a thin panko-Parmesan layer, and it only bakes uncovered for the last 12 to 15 minutes.

Storage

Cool leftover tetrazzini, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat a portion covered at 350°F (175°C) until the center is hot, about 15 to 20 minutes, with a splash of broth if the sauce has tightened. To freeze, assemble the casserole without the panko, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge, add the topping, and bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes. USDA leftover food safety guidance is the 3-to-4-day fridge window I follow for cooked chicken.

FAQ

Can you freeze chicken tetrazzini?

Assemble it in a freezer-safe dish without the panko topping, wrap it tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the buttered panko and Parmesan, and bake as directed, adding about 10 extra minutes since it starts colder.

Can I use leftover turkey instead of chicken?

Use 3 cups of shredded cooked turkey in place of the chicken, same volume, no other changes. That’s the old leftover move this casserole was built for, and the sauce doesn’t care which bird you use.

What pasta can I use besides spaghetti?

Linguine or thin spaghetti are the closest. Penne or rigatoni also work if you undercook them by 2 to 3 minutes. Skip very thin angel hair, because it turns slack in the oven before the sauce sets.

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