New "for me" Recipe and it's a winner, Chicken Tretrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini has been on my list of dishes to try for awhile and last night was it.  It was excellent!  I wasn’t sure if the flavor would be complex enough.  I tend to like a spicy full flavor dish but what I didn’t realize was it is like a version of mac and cheese, a great comfort dish.  The lemon gave it a subtle tartness and the homemade stock added lots of flavor even though it was stock from boiling only a rotisserie chicken caucus, nothing more.  I haven’t seen shredded provolone so I used what I had, a combination of sliced provolone and grated jack.  I also used regular spaghetti even though it said thin was best.  I don’t see how it can be better.  Original recipe came from parade.com.  If you need some comfort, give this a try.

 CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

12 oz. spaghetti or angel hair
Saute:
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
4 C. chicken, rotisserie or sauteed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Cheese Sauce:
4 T. butter
1/3 C. flour
3 C. homemade chicken stock
1 T. lemon juice
1 C. ½ and ½
½ C. 2% milk
1 t. Kosher salt
¼ t. coarse black pepper
1 C. Jack cheese
4 slices provolone, torn up
¼ C. parsley leaves, chopped
Topping:
1 C. Parmesan cheese, shredded
¼ C. sourdough bread crumbs

Put a large pot of water on to boil.  Add pasta, slightly less than a one pound box and cook to al dente, according to package directions about 8 minutes.  Drain.  Set aside.

Grease a large casserole or 9x13” pan.  Dice onion, slice mushrooms and mince garlic.  Cube chicken if using raw breasts or thighs vs. rotisserie chicken.  

To a medium saute pan add a drizzle of oil and sliced mushrooms, cook to brown about 5 minutes.  Add to casserole dish.  To same skillet add a drizzle of oil and diced raw chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute till browned and no longer pink about 8 minutes.  Add onions half way through and cook with chicken till softened or saute onions alone till soft.  Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Add to casserole pan.  To same skillet, add butter, melt.  Add flour, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add stock, lemon juice, salt, pepper, whisk until smooth.  Add milk, bring to a simmer.  Add cheese, stir to melt.  Add parsley.  Add to casserole dish, toss.  Add cooked pasta and toss with tongs to mix pasta and sauce.

Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Cover with foil or glass lid.  If your dish is full place a piece of foil on oven rack, and place casserole dish on top incase it bubbles over, if full it will.  Bake 350F for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.  Serves 8.

Variation:  Use What You Have:  1 ½ C. whole milk or a combination of cream and milk; any type of chicken, raw or  rotisserie; all shredded Provolone; chicken broth or stock; baby bella or white mushrooms; any thin pasta.