Having successfully made my lunch for the next couple days, and with my parents indecisive about what to have for dinner besides “chicken,” I did a little brainstorming which resulted in chicken tetrazzini, a first for me, though I know its a favorite of my Man.
The recipe is a variation on one from Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian (page 72). Odd, I know, only I would make my first recipe from a vegetarian cookbook and have it involve meat. The real miracle is that we happened to have all the ingredients in the house!
You’ll need:
7 oz uncooked spaghetti
2 cups chicken broth (I made some with bouillon cubes–always a lifesaver!)
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cooked diced chicken
2 and 1/4 oz sliced ripe black olives, drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (we didn’t have shredded cheese, so I used my Zyllis grater on 2 1oz snack sticks. That grater saves my meals routinely–you should get one!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook and drain spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to prevent further cooking or sticking. Set aside.
3. In a large sauce pan, mix the broth, half and half, flour,butter, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until it boils, stirring constantly. Let boil for 1 minute while stirring.
4. Add spaghetti, chicken and olives to the sauce mixture. Stir.
5. Pour contents of sauce pan into an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Spread evenly. Sprinkle the top with the cheese and almonds.
Please note: a 2 quart casserole dish just barely holds all the ingredients!
6. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. (see finished product above).
This is another dish with endless possibilities for adaptations. The original recipe uses 2 cups of frozen vegetables in place of the chicken; if I make it again I think I’ll use 1 cup of chicken and 1 cup of vegetables. It got good reviews from the family, is very rich, and serves about 6…so we’ll be enjoying it again tomorrow. Anytime we don’t have to think about what’s for dinner is a good time.
