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This single serving Chicken Tetrazzini is a creamy, cheesy pasta bake made with tender chicken, pasta, and a rich mushroom sauce. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a classic comfort food casserole in a smaller portion.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Simple: This baked Chicken Tetrazzini comes together fast with one chicken breast (or use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or turkey).
- Pantry-Friendly Ingredients: No special items needed, this creamy chicken pasta casserole is made with everyday staples.
- Rich and Flavorful: Creamy sauce, tender chicken, and pasta combine for a hearty, comforting single serving meal.
I love making Chicken Tetrazzini because it feels like such a timeless dish. Knowing it was created over a century ago and has been enjoyed ever since makes it extra special to me.
Every bite is creamy, warm, and comforting, and I think that’s why this recipe has never gone out of style. If you’re looking for a classic baked pasta that always satisfies, this is one you’ll want to make.
Enjoy with a fresh green salad drizzled with homemade vinaigrette, warm small batch drop biscuits or small batch cornbread, and roasted Brussels sprouts for a well-rounded meal.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch Chicken Tetrazzini recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Chicken: Use 1 (4 to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed, or about 1 cup cooked chicken or turkey (shredded, chopped, rotisserie, or canned). Extra chicken can be used in homemade chicken nuggets, chicken divan for one, or chicken marsala for one.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal), black pepper, and Italian seasoning. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary.
- Vegetables: Chopped onions, garlic, and mushrooms. These add depth and are staples in recipes like our crustless spinach and mushroom quiche.
- Chicken Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth gives better control over salt. If using regular broth, reduce added salt and adjust seasonings after cooking. Leftover broth works well in crack chicken for one or lasagna soup for one.
- Sour Cream: Adds creaminess. Greek yogurt can be used instead. Extra sour cream can be added to a small squash casserole.
- Heavy Cream: Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (both contain over 36% milk fat). Extra cream can be used in small chicken tikka masala, broccoli casserole for one, or in our small German chocolate cake recipe.
- Spaghetti: Use 1 cup cooked spaghetti (2 ounces dry). Linguine or fettuccine also work. Extra pasta can be used in our pasta al limone recipe or our recipe for pasta carbonara.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
This single serving Chicken Tetrazzini is delicious as is, but it’s easy to customize. Try these popular variations for different flavors and textures:
- Swap the Protein: Use leftover turkey after the holidays, diced ham, or even cooked shrimp for a different take on this creamy baked pasta.
- Add More Vegetables: Stir in peas, corn, blanched broccoli, spinach, or extra mushrooms to make the dish heartier and more colorful.
- Try Different Cheeses: Cheddar is classic, but Gruyère, Fontina, or Monterey Jack all melt beautifully and change the flavor profile.
- Make It Crispy on Top: Sprinkle panko or regular homemade breadcrumbs mixed with a little butter over the casserole before baking, or top with extra cheese for a golden, bubbly finish.
How To Make Chicken Tetrazzini
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make Chicken Tetrazzini for one person. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Note: If using pre-cooked chicken, start at Step 5.
Before You Begin:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season chicken with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.
- Brown chicken 1–2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. (It will finish cooking in the oven.)
- Add a little more oil to the skillet, reduce heat to medium, and cook onions until translucent, about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Raise heat to medium-high, add mushrooms, and cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in chicken broth and bring everything together.
- Remove skillet from heat. Stir in sour cream, heavy cream, cheddar, mozzarella, remaining salt, and Italian seasoning.
- Add browned chicken and cooked spaghetti; toss until coated.
- Transfer to a greased 5×5-inch baking dish. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
- Remove foil, sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley if desired, and serve hot.
Expert Tips
- Prepare Ahead: Read the recipe and ingredient notes first. Have everything measured and ready since this dish comes together quickly.
- Easily Doubles: To make Chicken Tetrazzini for two, double the ingredients and bake in two 5×5-inch dishes, one 8×1½-inch round pan, or one 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Turkey Option: Swap chicken for turkey—perfect for using up holiday leftovers.
Make Ahead And Storage Instructions
- Make Ahead: Assemble the casserole, cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days before baking.
- Store Leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm in the microwave or bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, until heated through.
- Freeze: Assemble (unbaked), cover tightly, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken Tetrazzini is a baked pasta casserole made with chicken, pasta, mushrooms, cream, cheese, and seasonings.
Yes, leftover chicken, turkey, rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken all work well in this recipe.
The success of this recipe depends on the size of the baking dish you use. I use a 5×5-inch baking dish with a base area of 25 square inches.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
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.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Chicken Tetrazzini For One
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish or use a 4×6 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil -divided
- 1 (4 to 5 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh cut into 1-inch pieces (or use 1 cup cooked cubed chicken)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt -divided
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ¼ cup sliced mushrooms
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cooked spaghetti (2 ounces of dry spaghetti – 2 ⅛ inches in circumference).
- Optional toppings: grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the oil is heating, season the chicken pieces with ⅛ teaspoon of salt and the black pepper.
- Brown chicken 1–2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. (It will finish cooking in the oven.)
- Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook onions until translucent, about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Raise heat to medium-high, add mushrooms, and cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in chicken broth and bring everything together.
- Remove skillet from heat. Stir in sour cream, heavy cream, cheddar, mozzarella, remaining salt, and Italian seasoning.
- Add browned chicken and cooked spaghetti; toss until coated.
- Transfer to a greased 5×5-inch baking dish. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
- Remove foil, sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
- Prepare Ahead: Read the recipe and ingredient notes first. Have everything measured and ready since this dish comes together quickly.
- Easily Doubles: To make Chicken Tetrazzini for two, double the ingredients and bake in two 5×5-inch dishes, one 8×1½-inch round pan, or one 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Turkey Option: Swap chicken for turkey, perfect for using up holiday leftovers.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I wanted a “for one” Tetrazzini recipe to try as I was craving a creamy pasta dish, but needed to adjust to ingredients I had, so my review is based that way. I used celery, green pepper, green onions and garlic powder instead of the mushrooms, onion, and fresh garlic. And I didn’t have mozzarella so used extra of the cheddar blend I had instead. It came out really delicious and I will definitely make again as written. And likely with substitutions! Cook time was perfect. After reading some reviews again I may try with a bit of cream cheese instead of the sour cream, just to not have the tang. Makes more than you think so don’t use a little short dish, I used a taller but 5” across type casserole dish and it filled it plus I ate a few bites that didn’t fit. So you could really get 2 servings or casseroles. Yummy all around.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks for your feedback!
This all turned out well but I didn’t realize I had forgotten the sour cream until it came out of the oven ! It had lots of moisture but no creamy sauce so I added a tablespoon of cream cheese and that fixed it. I also added about 1 1/2 tbsp of pimento drained very well This is a very good recipe I’ll be making it again for sure.
This was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have heavy cream so used milk instead. Also added frozen peas. I will be making this again!
This was really very delicious. I had leftover turkey in the freezer. I only used a cup and diced it small and doubled the remaining ingredients. It made quite a bit. I ate two nights of dinners and will freeze the remainder per your instructions. Thanks so much for another great recipe, Joanie!
I made this tonight it was delicious. I used some rotisserie chicken and it was a fast and delicious recipe. Thanks
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Looks great! A question: can you suggest any substitution for the heavy cream? And would whole wheat or gluten free pasta work?
You can use whole milk instead and yes, whole wheat or gluten-free pasta will work just fine.
Great recipes to truly be one serving. So many others say that ‘z uou read them and it’s one serving with 4 days of leftovers. I want one serving and this is it. Love them.
Thank you, Debbie.
Is the spaghetti cooked while the chicken is browning in the skillet?
It could be. Cooking the spaghetti while the chicken cooks is an excellent idea.
I tried this recipe last night using rotisserie chicken. Also used Rotini instead of spaghetti because that pasta is easier for us to keep on the fork. I doubled the recipe and it gave us three good servings. This was very good and I will definitely make it again. I have made several of your recipes and appreciate how easy they are.
Thank you for sharing your feedback and substitutions, we appreciate it so much.
Terrific recipe.