If you are in need of a creamy, saucy pasta that also happens to be low in sodium look no further. This recipe for chicken tetrazzini will satisfy those comfort food cravings without blowing your sodium through the roof.
Hey hey hey! We are deep into Fall in Montana, with trees losing leaves and that tell-tale crispness in the air. That makes this morning a perfect day to sit down and get this recipe out to you – especially since it feels like forever since I posted something new. This chicken tetrazzini is something I have had done for a while, but I needed some time to sort through photos, fine tune the recipe, and get things posted.
Rewind to a couple months ago when I found myself standing in the kitchen wondering what to cook for dinner. I don’t typically find myself in this predicament because I am a slightly obsessive about meal planning. Nevertheless, there I was looking the the fridge at chicken and some mushrooms, both of which needed to be used ASAP. I always have things like milk, Swiss cheese, chicken broth, pasta, and spices so I figured I could throw something together without too much hassle. We ended up liking the dinner so much that I decided it was blog-worthy. (By the way when this happens, my first course of action is to immediately sit down and guesstimate all the ingredients and cooking times so that the next time I test it I have some kind of foundation. Nothing is more frustrating that having something awesome and never quite being able to replicate it.)
So there’s the backstory to this low sodium version of chicken tetrazzini. What about cooking tips? This recipe is pretty straightforward. The only tip I would give is to use a heavy bottomed skillet that is not nonstick for this (if you have one). A heavy bottom helps with even heating (great for searing) and any bits that end up sticking to the pan create all those yummy brown bits that lend oh so much flavor to the whole dish. You end up with a richer flavor that can’t quite be replicated with a nonstick skillet.
Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini
NUTRITIONAL SUMMARY:
188 mg sodium per serving
409.3 mg potassium per serving
180.5 mg phosphorus per serving
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 2 tsp butter ((divided))
- 2 tsp olive oil ((divided))
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp white wine ((may use water or broth instead))
- 1/3 cup onion ((minced))
- 1 large garlic clove ((minced))
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth ((we use Swanson))
- 2 cups milk ((we use 1%))
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 4 slices Swiss cheese* ((cut into small pieces))
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, butterfly the chicken breasts and/or pound to about ¼” thickness. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, melt the 1 tsp butter and add 1 tsp olive oil. Immediately add the chicken to the pan and allow it to cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is very nicely browned and is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cut into ½” pieces.
- Return the skillet to the stove top, and adjust heat to medium-low. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add the wine to the mushrooms in skillet and cook for a few seconds. Put the onions and garlic into the skillet and continue to cook for 1-3 minutes, or until the onions and garlic are tender. Remove the mushroom mixture from the skillet and set aside.
- Return the skillet to the stove top, and add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil to the pan. When the butter has melted, stir the flour into the butter/oil mixture and cook the flour for 1-2 more minutes. Add the chicken broth and milk to the pan, about ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Be sure to let the liquid become hot again before adding more liquid to reduce the risk of lumps.
- Once all the liquid has been added, bring it to a low simmer. Stir in the nutmeg and Swiss cheese. Continue to warm on the stovetop until the cheese has melted.
- In a large serving bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, chicken, and mushroom mixture. Pour the sauce over the mixture and stir until combined.
Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION – Yield: 4 servings. 180.5 mg phosphorus per serving.
* The nutritional information is calculated using Sargento ultra thin Swiss cheese (35 mg sodium per slice). You may use whatever Swiss you like (even grated), but you will want to pay close attention to the sodium count.
Looking for other sort of similar recipes? Try the Pesto Chicken Braid or the Simply Lasagna.
I used leftover turkey (added to the sauce and simmer carefully until hot) and it turned out very well.
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Good to know! I haven’t tried it with turkey myself, but what a great way to use leftovers.
About how many ounces of swiss cheese would that be?
For the cheese that I use (Sargento), it is 4 ounces (each slice is 35 mg sodium). Be sure to check your brand of Swiss to make sure that the sodium is similar. Swiss tends to be low in sodium, but some brands are a little too high for us.
I will make this again! Thank you for the recipe! Mama is 95 with A-fib, and this is an excellent base recipe. My modifications were mostly due to available ingredients. I added extra herbs for enhanced flavor; had no mushrooms or onions but tossed in minced dried onion, extra chicken for the protein, and used coconut oil instead of the olive oil (some studies show coconut oil is more easily metabolized for energy by aging brain cells than glucose).
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Yes!! Very good. The finished product looked a bit bland, so I sprinkled parsley and paprika on top to jazz it up. Only substitution I made was Smart Balance for the butter. Will make this again.
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So glad you liked it!
I made this twice for my 95 year old mama who minimizes sodium for A-fib and carbs for diabetes. Used high protein Barilla noodles. I used high protein no-salt-added (NSA) bone broth. I didn’t use it, but Hormel makes 0 sodium chicken bouillon with potassium chloride if you can handle other salts and want the flavor. We served broccoli on the side but mixed it in as we ate it. That added more flavor. The swiss was acceptable level of sodium as we kept the other ingredients NSA. I pregrilled the chicken with roasted sesame oil, which gave a nice flavor.
EXCELLENT option for someone with dietary restrictions.
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So glad you like it and have made some changes that you like and work with your mother’s diet! I am actually making this for dinner tonight since it’s been a while since we’ve had it.
I tried to make the sauce three times and could not get it to stop lumping up 🙁 any tips? I tried adding the liquid slowly as I stirred, tried making sure it was heated before I added more ..
Hi, Nicole. I am not the author of this blog, but I have prepared a fair number of sauces. Perhaps I can be of assistance.
When one creates a roux, it is important to melt the butter completely, and then add the flour slowly and gradually, and stirring and smoothing the mixture carefully and thoroughly after each addition of flour. Once there is a smooth roux, add the liquids slowly and gradually, and again, stirring carefully and thoroughly after each addition of liquid. For this sauce, I added the chicken broth first, and then the milk. Creating a sauce is a rather slow process, and no component can be rushed. I hope this helps!
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Thank you to the commenter above for responding so well. Those are excellent tips. And to Nicole – I apologize for not responding! I don’t know how I missed seeing your comment when you originally posted it. Best, Kathy
Does anyone know if this is also pottasium friendly?
Love a creamy sauce & low sodium options for my mother-in-law. Next time, no thyme. It over powered the whole recipe. Couldn’t taste any garlic or other flavors. Very disappointing after how much effort went into making this! Whole thing isn’t edible 😩
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This was really yummy. My husband just got diagnosed with chf so we are very new to this way of eating but I can say this will be a regular staple ❤️ he loved it. I had mine with zucchini spirals and it was yummy and low carb. I just subscribed. Thank you for sharing these recipes to make my life easier in a trying time.
So glad you liked it!
Great recipe! I doubled it because when I looked at the recipe I knew it would take a while to make. It was well worth the time and effort. I used fresh thyme to taste. Everyone loved it and we have some leftovers, which is always a plus.
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Thank You for Sharing this informative Article! It is Very Useful To Everyone. Stay Healthy and keep Safe!
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