This Healthy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe is just 208 calories with 19.6g of protein, and that’s for a large 2 cup serving!
I love to make this with leftover chicken. But if you don’t have any, I recommend picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store, or making your own (here’s an easy recipe).
I have a very popular recipe for this made with turkey (here’s the recipe) and you could easily swap out the chicken for leftover holiday turkey. But I got so many recipe requests for a healthy version of chicken tetrazzini, I had to include one here.
Healthy Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
I want to keep this recipe short and sweet, and I promise I have not loaded up the article will unnecessary text. But just incase you want to skip ahead, these links will take you to the sections you are looking to jump ahead to.
What You’ll Find in this Article:
Ingredients for Low Calorie Chicken Tetrazzini
I know that this seams to be a lot of ingredients, but you likely have many of the ingredients already.
If you feel it’s a big purchase, make a double batch and freeze it. This recipe is a great meal prep casserole (how to meal prep below!)
Shopping List for Chicken Spaghetti Casserole:
- 8 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti (or gluten-free pasta)
- Olive oil spray
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons low fat cream cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
How to Make Low Calorie Chicken Tetrazzini
All in- from start to finish, you can make this casserole in just 30 minutes. As I noted above, this is a great meal prep recipe! Here are some meal prep tips.
Meal Prep Tips:
- Cook according to the recipe below in the card. Cool completely.
- Portion out in single serving containers (2 cups of chicken casserole each) and cover.
- Freeze or refrigerate. Will hold in the freezer for a month and in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- You can also make the entire casserole, cover and freeze. I like to cover with foil and then add the entire casserole to a 2 gallon freezer bag to avoid freezer burn.
How to Make Chicken Spaghetti Bake:
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet, until al dente. Then drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil and add in the onion and celery.
- Cover and cook the veggies until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover, add in the mushrooms and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the butter and melt, then add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until a paste starts to form.
- Add broth and cook stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese, the cream cheese, salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and add in the chicken and cooked pasta. Mix well until all is coated in creamy sauce.
- Pour the chicken pasta mixture into a baking dish (9×13 or 3 quart), top with panko and remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Broil on high for 2-3 minutes (watch closely so it doesn’t burn) when the top is golden, remove from oven, garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Low Calorie Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe
I love pasta, and as an Italian woman who lost 150 pounds (and kept it off for years) I know a thing about making pasta recipes healthy (or at least healthier). Here are a few more pasta recipe for you to try.
More Low Calorie Pasta Recipes:
Low Calorie Chicken Tetrzaaini
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti (or gluten-free pasta)
- Olive oil spray
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons low fat cream cheese
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the directions on the packet, until al dente. Then drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil and add in the onion and celery.
- Cover and cook the veggies until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover, add in the mushrooms and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the butter and melt, then add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until a paste starts to form.
- Add broth and cook stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese, the cream cheese, salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and add in the chicken and cooked pasta. Mix well until all is coated in creamy sauce.
- Pour the chicken pasta mixture into a baking dish (9×13 or 3 quart), top with panko and remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Broil on high for 2-3 minutes (watch closely so it doesn’t burn) when the top is golden, remove from oven, garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition and Calories in Recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini
The nutrition is based off a mix of white and dark meat chicken, but if you choose only breast meat, the calories will be slightly lower. The serving size is 2 cups, which is pretty big. But as you see, the calories are low enough to have seconds.
If you want to boost the protein and lower the carbs, try Banza Protein Pasta. It’s my favorite and works great in this recipe!
Important Note: As a reminder, at Lose Weight By Eating the goal is to make healthier, all-natural versions of your favorite recipes… not all will be “diet worthy” depending on the diet you are on. But they will be healthier versions to help curb your cravings.
What to Read Next:
Lose Weight By Eating Cookbooks
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Article History:
- Originally written and published on November 18, 2022 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on May 4, 2023 by Audrey Johns
