Today’s chicken tetrazzini recipe is sponsored by House Foods!
Being a cashier came with a bunch of perks:
I flexed my mental math muscles every day;
I drank all the coffee I wanted for free (which is the equivalent of living in heaven for college students); and
I got discounted food from the food court. It was sweet.
One of my favorite things to eat was the chicken tetrazzini. Carbs, cheese, meat all in one dish—how can you say “no” to that? It was definitely one of my guilty pleasures though. I never dared to make chicken tetrazzini at home because I knew how much calories into that dish! Until now . . .
I created a lighter version of the dish by substituting pasta with tofu shirataki noodles. You may recall that I made a Vietnamese Tofu Shirataki Salad with Chicken several months ago, and I want to show you how you can use it to lighten up your casseroles, too! Each serving of tofu shirataki is 10 calories and 3 grams of carbs, which means we can go to town with the cheese in this chicken tetrazzini without the guilt!
I’ve made three batches of this dish in the last week, and the hubs and I clean them out every single time!
MASTER LISA’S MISTAKES (AKA COOKING NOTES)
- The way I create the creamy base is very different from the traditional way of cooking chicken tetrazzini. Usually, you melt some butter and mix in flour create a roux. I didn’t want to use butter here, as we’re getting plenty of fat from the cheese. Instead, I boiled milk and added flour to the milk. Be careful when boiling milk—I burned some while testing the recipe! Remember to boil it in medium heat and stir occasionally as it is boiling.
- I tried versions of this dish with and without wine, and I prefer wine in the casserole. However, it is not essential. If you don’t want to use wine, just use a total of 3/4 cup of water.
- I added almonds because I found it added a nice natural crunch to the dish. Feel free to use bread crumbs instead.
Low-Carb Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225g) cooked chicken breasts, shredded
- 2 8-oz packages of House Foods tofu shirataki fettuccini*
- 1 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large red pepper, diced
- 3 cups chopped kale, about 3 large handfuls
- 1 cup (240ml) low-fat milk (I used 2% milk)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) dry white wine (optional)**
- 3 TBS gluten-free flour blend, or all-purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cups (4 oz) cheese (I used part-skim mozzarella and mild cheddar)
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 TBS slivered almonds for topping, optional
- chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish with oil or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Drain the liquid in the tofu shirataki packages and rinse noodles under cool water. Drain and try your best to squeeze out excess water. Place the noodles in a bowl. Using kitchen shears, cut the noodles about 5 or 6 times so that they’re smaller pieces. You can also chop the noodles on a chopping board, but I find using kitchen shears is easier.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add onions and cook them for about 2 minutes, or until the onions start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add in red peppers, kale, and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until the kale begins to wilt. Turn off the heat, and stir in the chicken and tofu shirataki. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat. Stir milk occasionally to keep it from burning.
- When the milk starts to boil, whisk in the flour and try to break up the clumps. Reduce heat to a medium-low. The milk should start to thicken. Add in water and wine (if using), and whisk together. If you’re not using wine, just add more water. Let mixture simmer and stir constantly. You want it to reach the consistency of a thick chowder. Turn off the heat. Stir in 1 cup of cheese, fresh thyme, a generous pinch of salt, and pepper. The creamy sauce should be quite thick by now.
- Pour the creamy mixture into the sauté pan with the vegetables, chicken, and shirataki. Stir until well incorporated. Pour everything into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 1/3 cup of cheese and almonds.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the casserole starts to brown, and the cheese is bubbling. You can also stick the casserole in the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to get extra browning on the top.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle chopped parsley for garnish. If you still want more cheese, feel free to grate some parmesan on top.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for a few days.
Notes
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and use #hnbeats!
Thank you House Foods for sponsoring this post!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I am obsessed with House Food Tofu Shirataki! LIKE I eat it ALMOST every single day for lunch as a stir fry! I must try this tetrazzini, because it sounds AMAZING. Pinned!
Lisa says
YES! They are sooo good as a stir-fry! Thanks, Taylor!
Catherine says
Dear Lisa, I love this comforting meal and I also love that it is healthier than the traditional tetrazzi…that sweetens the deal for me. I will have to make this for my family this winter. I know they would love it. Pinning for later. xo, Catherine
Lisa says
Thank you, Catherine!!
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Cooking & Creating says
This looks delicious! I love chicken tetrazzini. I haven’t made it in forever though, I need to change that!
Lisa says
Thanks, Kelly!
Stephanie | Mrs Tea & Mr Coffee says
I love chicken tetrazzini and this recipe looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try this one out!
Lisa says
Thanks, Stephanie!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Oh those collage days. hehe… mental math! I worked as a teller and then as I got further into my studies, started working as a natural science educator at a local museum. Pay was nothing, but oh the fun! Oh wow, Lisa!! My Ma made this for us all the time when I was a kid. Of course it was the full everything kind, hehe!! So I’d love to try these tofu noodles..and your lightened up version. It’s so smart! Oh – love that capture of your hands (yours?) and bowl. Beautiful!
Lisa says
Thanks, Traci!!! I had no idea that you were a teller before!
Those hands belong to the hubs! It’s funny, he bites his nails all the time, and I told him he has to stop if he’s going to be a hand model on my blog!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Free coffee and food DOES sound like college heaven! Ok, I’m so curious about these noodles. I gotta get me some. Because holy smokes does this look amazing!
Lisa says
Yea, definitely check them out! They’re texture is definitely different from normal noodles, but I like it!
Sydney | Modern Granola says
I really like the way you add your notes about the recipe. I love hearing how recipe developers arrive at their end product. This sounds so interesting and delicious! I’ve never had tetrazzini before, but this looks terrific!
xx Sydney
Lisa says
Thank you so much, Sydney! I figured that since I make so many mistakes when I cook, I should share that knowledge with everyone so that they don’t do the same, too!
Cindy says
I’ve never tried shirataki noodles, but I’m pretty sure my mom eats them often. I also have never had chicken or turkey tetrazzini! It was a staple in my college food court but I just never tried it!
Lisa says
My family loves cooking the small bundles of shirataki noodles for hot pot — it’s soo good! And you have to try chicken tet!! It’s my ultimate comfort food!
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
Wow, Lisa! This dish looks amazing – love that stretchy cheese. 😉 And the photography is stunning – nice work!!
Lisa says
Thanks, Marissa!!
Bam's Kitchen says
Loving this dish so comforting and low on carbs. Awesome now if we could just get these noodles here in HK, I would be all set. Pinning!
Lisa says
I know! Thanks, Bobbi!
Mona Nino says
I love this recipe but I have a question about using flour. I was told that we should stay away from flour as much as possible. Your comments on that please. Oh and the cheese; what’s the best “healthiest” cheese available? Cheese concerns me too; but I guess I’m not as worried about it as I am the flour. Thanks.
Lisa says
Hi Mona! I’m not a certified health expert, so I cannot confirm whether you should stay away from flour. However, I’m using flour here to thicken the sauce for the tetrazzini. You can definitely leave out the flour if you want to avoid it. As for cheese suggestions, I’m assuming that you are looking for cheese with lower fat content. If that is the case, try part-skim mozzarella or lowfat cheddar. I don’t know if they are exactly the “healthiest,” but they are lower in fat content. I hope this helps!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop says
Remember though that fat is good for us, as people are realizing more and more, so I’d embrace the cheese and only use whole fat milk! 🙂
Kelly
Ariana says
I don’t see the macro nutrient numbers. Am I blind or didn’t you publish them?
Lisa says
Hi Ariana, In general, I do not publish the nutrition information on my recipes, but I am looking into that for the new year. In the meantime, you can plug in the recipe ingredients to the recipe tool on MyFitnessPal to get the nutrition info that you need.
Missy@My Sh!tty Kitchen says
Oh my I made this last week and it is so good! I am blogging about it and will link back to you to give you full credit!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Missy!
Susan says
Can you sub almond flour or coconut flour?
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Susan! Almond flour and coconut flour won’t work because it won’t thicken the milk. You can use tapioca starch or potato starch instead. I would use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the starch and see if it thickens the milk. Add more if the milk is still very runny.
Steve says
Hey Lisa, thanks for the great recipe! (made it tonight). While low carb, it’s not really low enough for anyone on a Keto diet (trying to keep below 20g of carbs per day). This actually works out to 10g of carbs per serving (if you cut it into 4).
Oh, and for those wanting a gluten free thickener – I used a teaspoon of Xanthan Gum (Bob’s Red Mill)
The macro math I did:
Chicken Tetrazzini:
Shredded Chicken (225g) – 371 calories, 8g Fat, 70g Protein, 167mg Sodium, 576mg Potassium
1.5T Olive Oil – 360 calories, 41g Fat
1/2 Medium Onion – 20 calories, 4g carbs, 1g Protein
3 tsp Minced Garlic – 45 calories, 3g Fat, 4g Carbs, 1g Protein, 3mg Sodium, 48mg Potassium
Red Pepper (chopped) (177g) – 55 calories, 1g Fat, 7g Carbs, 2g Protein, 7g Sodium, 373mg Potassium
Kale (chopped) 3C (110g) – 53 calories, 1g Fat, 9g Carbs, 5g Protein, 42mg Sodium, 540mg Potassium
2% Milk (1C) – 130 calories, 5g Fat, 12g Carbs, 9g Protein, 120mg Sodium, 344mg Potassium
Pinot Grigio (1/4C) – 44 calories, 2g Carbs, 2mg Sodium
Cheddar – 2/3C – (76g) – 304 calories, 28g Fat, 18g Protein, 532mg Sodium
Mozzarella – 2/3C – (75g) – 250 calories, 20g Fat, 18g Protein, 600mg Sodium
Slivered Almonds – 3T (23g) – 131 calories, 12g Fat, 3g Carbs, 5g Protein, 164mg Potassium
Xanthan Gum – 1tsp – 10 calories, 116mg Sodium
Total: 1773 calories, 119g Fat, 41g Carbs, 129g Protein, 1589 Sodium, 2045 Potassium
Per serving (4): 444 calories, 30g Fat, 10g Carbs, 32g Protein, 397mg Sodium, 511mg Potassium
Kathy says
I made this recipe using spaghetti squash in place of real pasta. Which makes it a very low carb count dish. SQ is a great substitute for pasta in many recipes. Your recipe is very good!!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying it, Kathy!
Deb says
I wish I could get over the konjac. I’ve tried everything to get over the texture. Any ideas on that?
Lisa Lin says
If you really don’t like the texture of shirataki, then I’d recommend using vegetable noodles, such as butternut squash noodles, instead.
Christy Marsh says
Hi there! Thank you for this, I can’t wait to try it! One quick, possibly stupid question… Could this be portioned out and frozen, for like meal prep? Has anyone tried this? Do you recommend it?
Thank you!
mobasir hassan says
A well deserved recipe.Truly appreciate the way you made it. I am sure to make it at home. Looking forward for more such recipes.
Traveling_Sadie says
Very good. Instead of making a white sauce I used a can of fat free cream of chicken soup mixed with some fat free plain Greek yogurt. Came out great and less fuss
Debra says
Can you use almond flour?
Lisa Lin says
I don’t think the sauce will thicken properly with almond flour, but you can try.
Lesa says
To confirm… any type of flour can be used? Coconut flour?
Lisa Lin says
I don’t think coconut flour thickens properly. If you’re gf, you’d probably need some rice flour and starch so the liquid thickens.