Chicken Tetrazzini
Total preparation time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8Ingredients:
- 1 purchased rotissere chicken
- 8 oz. dried spaghetti, broken in half
- 12 oz. fresh asparagus cut in 1 inch pieces, discarding ends
- 8 oz. portobello mushrooms, diced into 1 " pieces
- 1 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 " pieces
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 plus pinch cup all purpose flour
- 4-5 healthy grinds of coarse black pepper
- 14 oz. chicken broth
- 3/4 c. milk or half and half
- 4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel
- 1 loaf of Ciabatta bread cut into 1" cubes
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. snipped flat Italian parsely
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove meat from chicken (save bones, legs, wings and freeze for soup later). Cut chicken pieces in 1" chunks to equal about 31/2 cups.
- In a stock pot, cook spaghetti al dente/blanch asparagus last minute in spaghetti water before draining. Drain and return spaghetti/asparagus to stock pot.
- Sautee mushrooms and peppers in butter until tender but still bright/colorful. Stir in flour and pepper until combined. Add broth and milk; cook until thickened and bubbly.
- Add chicken, mushroom mixture, Swiss cheese, and half of lemon peel to spaghetti/asparagus. Toss gently to coat, and to melt cheese. Spoon pasta mixture into shallow baking dish or au gratin pan.
- Toss bread cubes, remaining lemon peel and olive oil together and spread on top of pasta mixture in baking dish. Bake, uncovered until heated thru (15 minutes fresh/30 minutes out of refrigerator. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. This reheats VERY well, so could be made the day before, refrigerated and reheated in 325 degree oven. It is SO YUM!!