Chicken Tetrazzini Freezer Friendly Food

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI (CREAMY CHICKEN MUSHROOM PASTA BAKE)

Steps:

• Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large pot over high heat. Add chicken, sprinkle with pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 1 1/2 minutes until golden.
• Turn chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute until golden then remove onto plate - doesn't need to be fully cooked (will cook more in oven).
• Rest 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces, or shred.
• Preheat oven to 160°C / 325°F.
• Cook mushrooms: Melt 4 tbsp butter over high heat in the same pot. Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes until starting to go floppy but not yet golden.
• Add onion: Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes until mushrooms are golden. Add a pinch of salt and pepper halfway through.
• Add flour & milk: Turn heat down to medium. Add flour. Stir for 30 seconds. Add milk and stir for 10 seconds or until it thickens (see video at 52 sec).
• Add cream and broth: Add chicken stock, cream, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir, then let the mixture heat up, stirring every now and then so it doesn't catch on the base, and cook until the sauce thickens enough so you can draw a path on the back of the spoon (video at 1.04). Do not make it very thick - it gets thicker in next steps.
• Add cheese & pasta: Turn stove off. Stir through half the cheese (will melt in oven), then add pasta and chicken. Toss to mix, taste and add more salt if needed.
• Bake: Pour into 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" pan, smooth surface. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately!

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI- FREEZER FRIENDLY

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti as directed on package. Drain.
• Heat butter in a large skillet until melted.
• Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat.
• Stir in chicken broth and half & half. Heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
• Stir in spaghetti, chicken, & grated parmesan cheese.
• Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Top with fresh shredded parmesan cheese.
• To serve immediately: Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes until bubbly.
• Or to freeze for another day: After topping with the parmesan cheese, do not bake right away. Cover dish with plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw completely and bake as directed on serving day.

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.
• Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.
• Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until al dente (if a range is given on the box, choose the shortest time, otherwise, cook it 1 minute less than the suggested time). Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter with the canola oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the cauliflower, onion and mushrooms to the skillet along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and the mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over top and cook, stirring, until all of the flour has moistened, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, until reduced by about half. Add the chicken broth and 1/4 cup water, increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until simmering and slightly thickened. Add the heavy cream, cream cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan; stir to combine. Pour all of the sauce and vegetables into the pot with the pasta. Add the peas, thyme and green chiles. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. If not serving right away, let cool. Cover and refrigerate up to overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake until hot and bubbling, about 45 minutes.

FREEZER CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 and use a 13 x 9 inch Baking dish (3 L).
• OVEN POACHED CHICKEN: Place chicken in roasting pan on rack. In a large glass measuring cup, combine chicken stock, wine, bay leaf, tarragon and thyme; pour over chicken. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 185°F Cool chicken in broth.
• Remove cooled chicken from broth, reserving broth. Remove all meat from carcass, keeping chicken in large strips. Discard skin and bones. Set chicken meat and stock aside separately.
• TETRAZZINI: In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook noodles until tender but still firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold running water. Drain and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat; cook onions, garlic, celery and green pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a large bowl. In same saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat; cook mushrooms for 5 minutes or until tender. Add to other vegetables in bowl.
• Melt remaining butter in same saucepan over medium high heat. Add flour; cook, stirring, until flour pulls away from pan. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in reserved chicken stock. Return to heat. Cook, stirring until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk in cheese, olives, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in noodles, chicken and vegetables. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Serves 8.
• TOPPING: In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, almonds and Parmesan. Sprinkle evenly over casserole.
• TO FREEZE: Wrap well with plastic wrap, then heavy foil. Seal, label and date. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• TO SERVE: Thaw in microwave or in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F Unwrap casserole. Cover with foil. Bake in center of oven for 20 minutes, uncover and bake another 25 minutes or until heated through.
• TIP: If freezing, undercook the pasta just until firm; it will cook further in the juicy sauce upon reheating. If making to serve immediately, cook pasta a little further.
• Breadcrumb toppings become soggy on freezing. To crisp them, be sure to bake uncovered for at least 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
• Because casseroles dry out when freezing make sure sauces are thin before freezing. They will thicken once they are cooked.
• The Best Freezer Cookbook.