Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get into the tetrazzini!

This is an excellent chicken pasta casserole bake that my mom used to always make on Saturdays for Gator Football gatherings.  I loved this dish growing up and Mike was hooked the first time he had it as well, and is definitely one of his favorites.  

I make this for any occasion; from weeknight meals (makes great leftovers) to pot luck gatherings and everything in between.  Versatile and easy – my kind of meal!





The following recipe is the general version that I make most times, but the best part of this dish is that you can add an array of different ingredients to liven it up every now and then. Bon appetit!




Chicken Tetrazzini
Print this recipe!

• 1 box spaghetti noodles
• 1 container baby bella mushrooms, cut into fourths
• 1/2 of a large sweet onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 12 oz container of canned chicken (drained), or 1-2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
• 1 cans reduced fat Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 6 oz reduced fat cream cheese
• 3/4 C reduced fat sour cream
• 1 C reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil noodles according to package directions and drain.  While the noodles are cooking, in a separate (deep) pan, sauté the onion and mushrooms in about 1 T of olive oil until cooked through and tender.  Salt and pepper and then add pressed garlic.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes.

 

 

Add the chicken, soup, cream cheese and sour cream into the onion and mushroom mixture.  Stir to combine.  Add the drained noodles* and mix well.  Transfer mixture into a 9x13 baking dish (or baking dish of choice) and bake for 20 minutes.  Top with cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.



*reserve about 1 C of the pasta water to add to the mixture to thin out if desired.

Variation ideas:

• Veggies– add diced tomatoes, broccoli or even frozen peas to add color and more vegetable power.  The possibilities are endless!
• Instead of topping with cheese, top with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs).  Just mix the bread crumbs with a little bit of garlic salt, parmesan and olive oil for a crunchy topping.
• No chicken?  Use turkey instead.
• Remember, if the recipe quantity is too large for your needs…halve it!  It will be just as delicious.