If you love all things chicken and mushroom, I’m confident you’ll fall deep in love with this dish. Follow me…
Chicken and Mushroom Tetrazzini
Tetrazzini is often made with chicken or turkey, usually with cream of mushroom and/or cream of chicken soup as the base. Here we’re going for chicken with a homemade creamy sauce. No soup needed!
Chicken Thighs
Whilst you could use breast or rotisserie chicken, I highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for a few different reasons:
Fat – thighs are much fattier than breast. This not only adds more flavour, but the excess fat can be used to fry the mushrooms. Robust – thighs are much less likely to overcook from the double cooking (frying then baking). Flavour – because thighs are fairly robust, you can give them a good sear on each side to build up some nice flavour. This will also leave ‘fond’ in the pan (i.e. extra flavour) which can be incorporated into the dish.
What kind of mushrooms should I use?
I use baby chestnut mushrooms, but in reality you can use any mushroom you fancy. The main thing is properly frying them to develop flavour. The mushrooms will initially soak in all the oil like a sponge, then leak out moisture, then the moisture will begin to evaporate. Only after the evaporation can the mushrooms properly start to fry and turn golden (i.e. build up flavour). Alongside the chicken and mushrooms we’re going to add some onion and garlic for a boost of flavour. Process shots: fry chicken (photos 1&2), fry mushrooms (photo 3), fry onion and garlic (photo 4).
Making Tetrazzini
Like I said, no soup needed here. Nothing against it! Canned soup just varies a lot from brand to brand, and I’m too much of a food nerd not to make my own sauce 😄. Here’s what you’ll need:
Flour & Butter – to create a roux to thicken the sauce. Milk & Chicken Stock – creates the sauce. Cream – just for added richness! Cheese – I love using parmesan and gouda.
Once the sauce has thickened, slice the chicken and stir it through with the pasta. From there, pour it all into a large baking dish, top with more cheese and bake. Process shots: melt butter then stir in flour (photo 1), stir in liquids then stir in cheese (photo 2), slice and stir in chicken (photo 3), toss in pasta (photo 4), pour into baking dish (photo 5), top with cheese and bake (photo 6).
What else can I use instead of Gouda?
Gouda is actually a fairly accessable cheese found in most supermarkets. If you can’t find it I have used Emmental in the past, which is another relatively mild and creamy cheese that melts well.
What kind of pasta should I use?
I use Linguine, but you could use spaghetti. Long-cut pasta is traditional so go for that!
Can I prepare this ahead of time?
This is best made fresh, but certainly don’t waste leftovers. Just allow to completely cool and tightly store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheat until piping hot again.
Serving Tetrazzini
The tetrazzini is done once it’s golden and bubbly. I don’t tend to bake it too long otherwise you risk the sauce drying out. Once out the oven give it a good helping of fresh parsley for a final pop of colour and flavour. Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken tetrazzini shall we?!
How to make Chicken Tetrazzini (Full Recipe & Video)
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Chicken and Mushroom Recipes
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken Chicken and Mushroom Pie Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Chicken Schnitzels with Mushroom Gravy Creamy Chicken with Mushroom Gnocchi
