Chicken Tetrazzini For One

Chicken Tetrazzini is a comfort food classic. Made with juicy chicken, mushrooms, and pasta in a rich and creamy sauce. This single serving meal is easy to make and incredibly delicious!

Chicken Tetrazzini is a wonderful Italian-American dish that’s extra cheesy and extremely comforting. This cheesy pasta bake is loaded with tender and juicy chicken, cooked pasta, and a flavorful mushroom sauce. We’ve scaled down this classic, comforting dish to serve one person and we think you’re going to love it!

What Is Chicken Tetrazzini?

Chicken Tetrazzini is a baked pasta casserole created by French chef, Auguste Escoffier at the Palace Hotel in San Fransisco in the 1900s in honor of the legendary opera star, Luisa Tetrazzini. Since that time it has remained a classic comfort food ever since.

Why This Recipe Works

• Easy to make: Chicken Tetrazzini comes together quickly. We use 1 (4 to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh. If you have leftover chicken from a previous meal, consider using it instead, or use cooked rotisserie chicken.
• Made with easy-to-find ingredients: You won’t find any fancy ingredients in our easy Chicken Tetrazzini recipe. Many of the ingredients you may already have in your pantry.
• Incredibly delicious: Our single serving Chicken Tetrazzini has it all! It’s hearty, it’s rich and creamy, and it’s filled with flavor.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.

• Chicken: Use 1 (4 to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes. Instead, you can use about 1 cup of cooked and chopped or shredded chicken or turkey. Rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken will work great in this recipe.
• Olive oil:  I use extra virgin olive oil in this easy Chicken Tetrazzini recipe and in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil, but you may use light olive oil instead.
• Seasonings: Use kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal brand), black pepper, and Italian seasoning. The main herbs in Italian seasoning are basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use one or two of these herbs instead.
• Vegetables: Use chopped onions, garlic, and sliced mushrooms.
• Chicken broth: I prefer using low-sodium chicken broth to control the salt content of the dish. If you use regular chicken broth, you might want to reduce the amount of salt you add. I always recommend tasting the finished dish and adding extra seasonings and salt if needed.
• Sour cream: You can use greek yogurt instead.
• Heavy cream: I recommend using heavy cream (double cream) or heavy whipping cream. Both of these ingredients are essentially the same – they both have over 36% milk fat, and the name often depends on the brand. 
• Spaghetti: Use 1 cup of cooked spaghetti which is 2 ounces of dry spaghetti. You can use the same amount of linguine or fettuccine instead.

This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Expert Tips

• Read through the entire recipe and the Ingredient Notes section of the post and gather your ingredients. This small Chicken Tetrazzini comes together quickly so it’s a good idea to have everything ready before beginning.
• This recipe doubles well. If you’d like to make Chicken Tetrazzini for two people or to simply have a little leftover, just double the ingredient amounts and split it into two 5×5-inch baking dishes or use one 8×1 ½-inch round baking pan or one 9×5-inch rectangular baking dish.
• Make Turkey Tetrazzini: You can use turkey in place of chicken. This is an easy way to use up leftover turkey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Make Ahead And Storage Instructions

• To Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole dish with the pasta and cooked chicken. Cover the dish and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days until you are ready to bake it.
• Store Leftovers: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat: Reheat in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until heated through.
• Freezing Instructions: You can freeze Chicken Tetrazzini before baking. Assemble the casserole, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight and then place the casserole on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes to come up to room temperature. Then, bake as directed in the recipe.

Serving Suggestions

A traditional Chicken Tetrazzini recipe goes well with any of the following single serving and small batch sides:

• Biscuits
• French bread
• Cornbread
• Corn muffins
• Fresh tomato salad
• Cucumber salad
• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Cranberry sauce

Chicken Tetrazzini Variations

Although I think this is the ultimate Chicken Tetrazzini recipe and love it just as it is, you might like try any of these recipe variations:

• Use a different protein. Consider using leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or use ham instead of chicken.
• Add extra vegetables. For example, try adding frozen or canned peas, corn, extra sliced mushrooms, or blanched broccoli.
• Use a different cheese like Monterey Jack, American, Gruyere, or Fontina.
• Add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary to the pasta dish.
• Make a crispy topping by adding panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs to the top of the casserole and dot the top with bits of butter before baking.

Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy Chicken Tetrazzini recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:

• Chicken: Tuscan Chicken, Chicken Piccata, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Tortellini Soup, Coq au Vin, Greek Chicken Bowl
• Onions: Fried Rice, Corn Casserole, Chickpea Curry, French Onion Soup, Baked Stuffed Fish, Enchiladas
• Garlic: Lentil Stew, Shrimp Fettuccine, Sauteed Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Steak Fajitas, White Bean Soup
• Mushrooms: Mushroom Pasta, Mushroom Casserole, Risotto, Chicken and Rice Casserole, Pork Stir Fry, Salisbury Steak
• Chicken broth: Chicken and Dumplings, Zuppa Toscana, Turkey Cutlets, Risotto, Chicken Fricassee, Potato Soup, Jambalaya
• Sour cream: Cauliflower Casserole, Hot Spinach Dip, Devil’s Food Cake, Maple Walnut Muffin, Ranch Dressing
• Heavy cream: Chicken Alfredo, Creamy Tomato Soup, Green Bean Casserole, French Silk Pie, Icebox Cake, Crustless Quiche Lorraine
• Italian seasoning: Pork Tenderloin, Cioppino, Crustless Pizza Quiche, Ratatouille, Stuffed Peppers, Hamburger Casserole
• Spaghetti: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken Spaghetti, Pesto Pasta, Pasta Carbonara, Buttered Noodles
• Mozzarella cheese: Pizza Bowl, Vegetable Lasagna, Chicken Margherita, Baked Ziti, Caprese Salad, Detroit Style Pizza
• Cheddar cheese: Creamed Spinach, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Cheese Grits, Macaroni and Cheese, Cheesy Baked Eggs, Beer Bread

For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

If you’ve tried this mini Chicken Tetrazzini recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

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