Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole
Low-fat sour cream and a purée of carrot, mushroom, tarragon and Parmigiano-Reggiano maintain the flavor and texture of this chicken tetrazzini casserole, without the unnecessary fat.
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CHEF’S NOTE:
To ensure that you have roasted chicken on hand, cook extra chicken at a meal earlier in the week and use the leftovers in this recipe, or buy pre-roasted chicken breast at your local grocery store (of course, remove the skin). Raw chicken breast can also be cooked under a broiler set to high. Place chicken on a baking pan that has been misted with cooking spray, lightly mist top of chicken with additional cooking spray, and season with sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste. Broil until cooked through, about 7 to 9 minutes.
Nutritional Bonus: Since orange-hued foods such as carrots are bursting with beta-carotene, which converts to pro-vitamin A in the body, one serving of our baked Chicken Tetrazzini offers over 41% of your daily need for the vitamin. And you may be surprised to learn that you’ll get 40% of your day’s vitamin K as well – considering there is no spinach or chard in sight. Thank the fresh parsley! Plus, raw almonds add both crunch and nuttiness to the finished dish (while also providing added vitamin E!).
MAKE AHEAD:
Our pasta casserole can be assembled, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If baking casserole straight from the fridge, remove plastic wrap, cover dish with aluminum foil and cook for 15 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking until sauce is bubbling and casserole is heated through, about 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1/2 lb whole-wheat or farro short pasta (rigatoni, penne, sedani; 8 oz)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
- 1 medium carrot, peeled, halved length-wise and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
- 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 1/3 cup), divided
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5 oz roasted chicken breast, torn into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup)
- 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped raw almonds, optional
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly mist an 11-cup (2.6 L) casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions, drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again; set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and carrot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add salt and continue to cook, stirring, until mushrooms are golden brown and carrot has softened, about 4 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer gently until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer three-quarters of broth and half of vegetable mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. (NOTE Be sure to cover lid of blender with a kitchen towel and hold it securely while blending to avoid any hot mixture or steam from escaping.)
- Add sour cream, parsley, half of Parmigiano-Reggiano, tarragon, lemon zest and juice and pulse blender until mixed. Return puréed mixture to skillet and toss with pasta, chicken and peas.
- Transfer mixture to prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle remaining half of Parmigiano-Reggiano and almonds, if desired, over top. Bake until sauce is bubbling and top is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 1/2 cup
- Calories 269
- Carbohydrate Content 36 g
- Cholesterol Content 27 mg
- Fat Content 7 g
- Fiber Content 5 g
- Protein Content 16 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 226 mg
- Sugar Content 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g