Cozy Creamy, Chicken tetrazzini! This chicken casserole has tender chicken, a creamy and tangy white sauce all tossed with egg noodles, sauteed mushrooms, and topped with a generous handful of buttered breadcrumbs. It’s easy to make and feeds a crowd!

We’re doing a throwback today with the creamiest, coziest noodle bake known to man.  I’m not one to make a lot of casseroles. Seriously, I think I may have like one other recipe on here. But when we’re talking about a dish full of egg noodles wrapped in a creamy white sauce, somewhere between forkfuls of this stuff, I start to wonder why I don’t make things like this more often. I am a Midwesterner at heart after all. ???????

This noodle casserole is perfect for the colder spring evenings. It’s hearty, filling and feeds a crowd. And if you’re from the Midwest, serving chicken tetrazzini for Easter, is 100% acceptable.

My creamy chicken tetrazzini begins like most recipes. You know, the noodles, sauteed baby bellas, and tender shredded chicken. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t change the whole thing up. We’re kicking it up with seasonings and tossing some shredded melty cheese into the white sauce.

INGREDIENTS:
CHICKEN TETRAZZINI:

• 1 pound cooked shredded or diced chicken
• 12 ounces cooked egg noodles*
• 1 pound baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• SAUCE:
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
• ½ cup sour cream (full fat)
• 1¼ cups cream (half and half or whole milk)
• 1½ teaspoon garlic powder, divided
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese*

DIRECTIONS:

1. SAUTE: Position a rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Add a swish of oil to a large saute pan and saute the mushrooms over medium-high heat for  5-7 minutes, remove to a plate.
2. SAUCE: Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the same saute pan, once it melts add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly stream in the chicken broth about 1/4 cup at a time while you whisk using your other hand. Allow the sauce to start bubbling, then let thicken for 3-4 minutes or until it just coats the back of a spoon. Lower the heat to the lowest heat setting and add the sour cream, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and onion powder as you whisk to make a smooth sauce. If the heat is too high the sour cream will curdle (fine to eat, just not as visually appealing.) Once the sour cream is mixed in, stream in the cream. Kick the heat back up to medium-high and allow the sauce to thicken, 2 minutes.
3. ASSEMBLE: Remove from heat, stir in the cheddar cheese and let it melt. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as desired. Fold in the noodles, sauteed mushrooms, and shredded chicken. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, add the prepared tetrazzini to the pan. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl, stir in the parmesan, Italian breadcrumbs, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic powder (if desired.) Scatter the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake, uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the breadcrumbs brown and the sauce bubbles around the rim. Brown under the broiler for a few seconds to darken the breadcrumbs more if you’d like. Serve warm topped with chopped parsley if desired.