Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
Packed with rotisserie chicken, mushrooms, sweet onion, al dente pasta, and creamy Boursin sauce, this Chicken Tetrazzini is the ultimate comfort food. Perfect for casual family dinners, potlucks, or as a prepared meal for someone in need.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tetrazzini:
- 12 oz linguine, or spaghetti
- 4 ½ cups rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced, or cook 1.5 lbs of chicken breast*
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
For the Creamy Sauce:
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 4.5 ounce Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin, break apart
- 3 Tbsp dry sherry
- 2 cups half & half, or sub with equal parts milk & heavy cream
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded Jack cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- Boil salted water (should taste like the sea).
- Cook pasta until just barely al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook mushrooms for 3 minutes.
- Add onions and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft and golden.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Transfer to a bowl with the chopped chicken.
- In the same pot, melt butter and whisk in flour until lightly golden (about 1½ minutes).
- Slowly whisk in broth, lemon juice, Boursin, sherry, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Add half and half and bring to a simmer. Stir in lemon zest.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Return chicken, veggie mixture, parsley, and sauce to the pot. Stir well.
- Add reserved pasta water if you want a saucier texture.
- Spread evenly into a casserole dish and top generously with mozzarella and Jack cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.
- Broil 1-2 minutes for golden spots if desired.
- Sprinkle with extra parsley and serve.
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If there’s enough left in the baking dish, simply cover it with plastic wrap.
- Freezing: Freeze individual portions (once fully cooled) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven, covered with foil, to restore that freshly baked texture.
- Make-ahead: You can prep this whole dish and pop it into the fridge for 1-2 days until you’re ready to bake it. You may need to add some extra baking time if the chicken tetrazzini is fridge cold.
- Use freshly shredded cheese: Avoid pre-shredded cheese as this is often coated in anti-caking agents for a longer shelf-life. This prevents the cheese from melting as well and also dulls the flavor.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: I like to cook pasta for this recipe until al dente, shaving about 2 minutes off the recommended package directions as the pasta will continue to cook in the assembled casserole mixture in the oven.
- Reserve pasta water: Reserving pasta water gives you a starchy, salted liquid that helps to adjust the consistency of the creamy sauce without flavor.
- Cook your own chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season 1.5 lbs chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side (halve large breasts lengthwise first). Transfer to a cutting board to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 537kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 908mg, Potassium: 425mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 565IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 177mg, Iron: 1mg