I wasn’t sure what I was thinking when I bought a 10 lb roasting chicken. I thought I was cooking for a family of eight instead of just the two of us. I cooked the chicken and then realized how much meat was left over and the thought of eating chicken, 100 different ways, just didn’t appeal to me for the next week.
I went looking for leftover chicken recipes and came across chicken tetrazzini that would make 6 to 8 servings and wasn’t complicated to put together. I ended up making one 13×9-inch pan, one 8×8-inch pan, and then five, 6×4-inch freezer containers with board lids. Looks like we (and our friends) are still going to be eating chicken for awhile!
Chicken Tetrazzini (would also work with turkey)
You can make this recipe over a couple of days. Refrigerate the topping, the cooked pasta, and the sauce in separate bowls, covered for up to 3 days. Don’t skimp on the salt and pepper. I used whole wheat pasta, organic vegetable broth and added some chopped carrots.
TOPPING
4 slices whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
2 Tbsp butter, melted
FILLING
Salt
1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine broken into thirds
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms sliced
2 medium onions, minced
3 medium carrots, chopped (optional)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups half- and- half cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups cooked chicken meat, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups frozen peas
1. For the topping process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with the oil, and set aside.
3. Using the same pot add the butter and return to medium heat until melted. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt; cook the mushrooms until they have released their juices and are brown around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and cook until softened about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and cayenne; cook about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and half-and-half; bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the pasta, chicken, and peas to the sauce; stir to combine. Pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish (or a shallow casserole dish of similar size) and sprinkle with the bread-crumb topping. Bake until the topping has browned and the sauce is bubbly, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with a salad.
*Follow the recipe for Chicken Tetrazzini, substituting two (6-ounce) cans of solid white tuna packed in water, drained and flaked into 1-inch pieces, for the cooked chicken.
**For the topping you can substitute the bread with corn flakes, bran flakes, or crackers. You can also add one teaspoon of no-salt seasoning or paprika or chili powder for extra flavour.
