Chicken Tetrazzini

The boyfriend found this recipe and it was the perfect time since I had just poached up a big package of chicken breasts (half were cubed and half shredded).  I used shredded for this recipe.  Also, as you can see by the picture, I opted for the casserole dish instead of cooking in the dutch oven (the cast iron dutch oven can't go in the dishwasher - the glass 10x13 pan can!)  The blog author included cooking times for both options (see recipe notes at the bottom).

Ingredients

For the Chicken Tetrazzini:

• 12 oz thin spaghetti or linguine
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken *or cook 2 lbs chicken breast
• 1 lb button mushrooms thickly sliced
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

For the Creamy Sauce:

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups half and half or sub with equal parts milk & heavy cream
• 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until aldente according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.
2. Cut 4 cups of chicken meat from a rotisserie chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces and set aside. 
3. Place a large dutch oven or pot over medium/high heat. Add 2 Tbsp oil then add sliced mushrooms and sauté 3 min or until softened. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft and golden, 5-7 min. Add minced garlic and sauté another 1-2 min until fragrant. Remove to the cutting board with chicken.
4. In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in 1/3 cup flour until lightly golden (1 1/2 min). Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and whisk until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups half and half and bring to a simmer. Season sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Return chicken, mushrooms, onions and pasta to the pot then sprinkle in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella, cover and bake at 350˚F for 30 min then remove lid and continue baking 15 min.**

Recipe Notes

*To cook your own chicken: in your dutch oven or pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season 2 lbs chicken breasts with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to cutting board to cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.

**If baking in a 13x9 casserole dish, cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes then bake uncovered an additional 10-15 min (it bakes 5-10 min faster in a casserole dish)

Creamy Parmesan One Pot Chicken and Rice

Last year I was in a fb group for fall meal planning.  Well, we didn't do a good job with planning meals, but we did share some recipes.  I pinned the ones shared and now the group has disappeared so I can't be sure the pinned recipe I found when I went hunting this fall is one and the same.  But all turned out well.  This recipe came out excellent!  The boyfriend thought it could have used some mushrooms or some other veggies (I think sliced fresh mushrooms, not canned, could be added at the same time as the chicken, but I'm not sure when I would add something like broccoli).  I thought the taste was fantastic, but I'm sure it wouldn't be affected by the addition of at least the mushrooms.  And it's one pot!  That's so awesome!  Also, just a quick note, my store (as per usual when I want something specific) did not have regular boneless skinless chicken breasts, so I used tenders - which made the cutting into one inch pieces really speedy.

Ingredients

• 1.5 Pounds Chicken Breasts, Cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Large onion, Diced
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced (3 Teaspoons)
• 2 Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Cup long grain white rice
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Parsley for serving, Optional

Instructions

• Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to soften.
• Add the diced chicken to the pan along with the Italian seasoning, pepper, and salt.
• Cook and stir for 5 minutes until chicken is golden on all sides.
• Add the garlic and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the chicken broth and rice to the pan and stir.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low.
• Cover with a lid and simmer for 17-20 minutes, until rice is completely tender.
• Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan.  Serve immediately topped with parsley if desired.

Skillet Mushroom Meat Loaves

Last week I spotted some new cooking soups in the grocery store.  And tonight I made the Skillet Mushroom Meat Loaves using the mushroom one.  The recipe was slightly different on the back of the can from the website and I didn't even realize I had skipped the riced cauliflower (I had made the shopping list from the website) until I had them cooking in the pan (the can does not call for the riced cauliflower).  Besides that, there was also a bit of variation on the cooking instructions.  So I did a bit of both in the end.  Paired with some easy mashed potatoes in a tub, it was a fairly simple dinner.  I love the meatloaf recipe that we've found, but this is quick version to have on a busy night.  (Below is the website version, feel free to skip the riced cauliflower as it doesn't have a lot of impact it seems, except adding some veggies to your meal).

Ingredients

1 pound 93% lean ground beef
1 3/4 cups thawed frozen riced cauliflower
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 small onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 egg white or 1 whole egg
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Mushroom Cooking Soup
1/4 cup ketchup

How to Make It
Step 1
Season the beef with salt and pepper, if desired. Thoroughly mix the beef, cauliflower, bread crumbs, onion, egg white and 1/4 cup soup in a large bowl.  Shape the beef mixture firmly into 4 mini loaves.  Stir the remaining soup and the ketchup in the soup can.

Step 2
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the meat loaves.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on all sides (let cook for at least 5 minutes before turning to prevent sticking).  Pour off any fat.

Step 3
Pour the soup mixture over the meat loaves.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the meat loaves are cooked through, stirring the soup mixture occasionally.  Spoon the soup mixture over the meat loaves before serving.

Rosemary Meatloaf

The boyfriend found this recipe (originally from food.com, now geniuskitchen.com) years ago.  It is now our go-to meatloaf recipe.  And I was horrified to realize earlier today that I had never blogged it.  We usually use fresh rosemary (unless the store is out) and a bit more than is called for.

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs
3⁄4 cup milk (or water or broth)
3⁄4 cup rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned)
2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1⁄2 teaspoon rosemary, crumbled
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
2 lbs lean ground beef
1⁄2 cup ketchup


DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly with a fork.
Add milk and oatmeal and let stand until liquid is absorbed (about 5 minutes) Stir in remaining ingredients, except meat; mix well.
Add meat, using your hands or a sturdy spoon and mix until well blended.
Shape into a loaf in your baking pan.
Make an indentation (trough) down center of loaf and fill with ketchup.
Bake for 1 hour or until loaf is done (should not be pink in the middle).
Remove from oven and cover with foil--let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving and it will cut nicely.