Chicken Tetrazzini is a creamy, rich pasta loaded with mushrooms and chicken. Let me share how I made this for my neighbors recently.
Helping out my Busy Neighbors
Finding myself with lots of time on my hands these days, I offered to cook dinner a few nights a week for some of my neighbors. We are a very close-knit culdesac and it could not make me happier to help out some of our busy friends. When asked if I could make Chicken Tetrazzini, I was thrilled. Turkey Tetrazzini is one of the first main dishes I remember making when I was about 10 or 11.
I immediately jumped into some of my recipes and a few online versions. My friend, Kristy, asked if I could include leeks. I opted for a true from scratch cream sauce versus the canned soup versions you often find. I also opted for smoked chicken which I did the day before on my pellet smoker. You can also use rotisserie chicken or any cooked chicken of your choice. Lastly, I used a combination of white wine and sherry to give it a deep, rich flavor.
The beauty of this dish is you can make it ahead. Pop it in the refrigerator, and then throw it in the oven when you are ready to eat. It's perfect for a potluck and travels easily.
You can easily cut the recipe in half if you don't want to feed an army or make the whole batch and freeze half.
For more great pasta dishes go to Finding Caroly.
Chicken Tetrazzini
Equipment
- 1 large Dutch oven or stock pot
- 1 heavy large spoon
- 2 9 x 11 aluminum pans glass or metal will work too
- 1 strainer for the noodles
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 3 T. butter one stick = ½ c.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 lbs. cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken shredded I do mine on the smoker with a simple rub of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 36 ounces of white mushrooms sliced
- 2 medium-sized leeks washed and finely chopped about 2 cups
- 12 cloves of fresh garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
- ⅓ c. Sherry
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ gallon whole milk room temperature
- 2 cups half and half room temperature
- 2 cups chicken or veggie stock
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 t. Trader Joe’s Everything but the Leftovers Seasoning
- 2 10 oz. ounce packages of wide egg noodles
- 2 cups of frozen peas
- 3 cups of grated Parmesan splurge on the good stuff!
- ⅔ cup dried Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs like Progresso
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (That is if you are eating right way.)
- Add the leeks, garlic, and thyme, and sauté until the leeks are translucent, about another 10 minutes. Add the wine and sherry and simmer until the alcohol evaporates about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl and toss it with the chicken.
- NOTE: I had a lot of liquid still left in the pan and did not want to overcook the mushrooms. I drained the mushroom mixture and used the remaining liquid along with the broth to get to two cups.
- Melt 9 more tablespoons of butter in the same pot over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, half and half, broth, nutmeg, TJ's seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
- NOTE: How much salt and pepper you use will be determined by how well-seasoned your chicken is, to begin with. Because I smoked mine with some pretty heavy S&P I did not need much.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Drain the noodles reserving ½ c. of the pasta water. (Skip this step if you want a thicker sauce.) Add the noodles, sauce, peas, one cup of parmesan, and the pasta water to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.
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