Casseroles have been a staple of American family dinners for over 50 years. Busy families trying to make dinner quick, nutritious and tasty have long turned to the one pot dinner or the quick casserole for help.
In the 1970's entertaining close friends at dinner parties was 'the' thing to do. Many a casserole was served along with wine, conversation and a game of cards. One of the most popular casseroles of the day was Chicken Tetrazzini, the recipe that follows is very reminiscent of that dish. To add ease of preparation and to cut down on cleanup, the recipe has been streamlined and everything is cooked on the stove top rather than baking.
Chicken with Bechamel Sauce :
Ingredients :
- 1 lb chicken breast or chicken tenders (boned, skinned and diced)
- 5 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1 whole sprig parsley
- 1/4 tsp marjoram
- 12 oz linguini
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Chicken and Noodles :
Method :
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well and cover.
- Heat olive oil over med heat
- Add boned, skinned, diced chicken and season with salt and pepper
- Saute chicken for 5 minutes
- Add mushrooms and continue to cook until all liquid has evaporated and chicken is browned (about 7 min)
- Remove from heat, cover and set side
Bechamel Sauce :
Method :
- Melt butter in a saucepan over med heat
- Add flour and stir to make a paste
- Pour in wine, milk and chicken broth
- Toss in parsley and marjoram
- Cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken (about 4 - 5 min)
- Remove parsley
- Stir in parmesan cheese
- Season with salt and white or black pepper to taste
Serving :
- Pour noodles onto a serving platter
- Ladle sauce over noodles
- Top with chicken and mushrooms
- Garnish with additional chopped parsley if desired
Suggested side dishes :
- Broccoli steamed in white wine topped with olive oil or melted butter
- Petit peas and pearl onions
- Roasted or grilled eggplant slices
- Boiled artichokes with Italian champagne dressing
- Crusty Italian bread
If the sauce seems too rich for your liking, add 1/2 cup chicken broth before pouring onto the noodles. Be sure to stir sauce constantly over medium heat to keep from clumping.
Since this sauce is rather heavy, a light dessert such as berries sprinkled with sugar or fruit sorbet make good choices.
Gelato is also a delicious Italian dessert that comes in an assortment of fruit flavors. Although it is not as rich as American ice cream it still can be quite heavy after a pasta dinner but if there will be a lapse in time between serving dinner and dessert, fruit flavored gelato can also be a good choice.
Jackie Milligan - My name is Jackie and I am a foodie. As a small child, my mother inspired me with the love of good fresh food made from scratch. I ...
