Ginny’s Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients:
- 1 5lb chicken, skin removed
- 1 yellow onion, cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
- 2 ribs of celery, cut into small pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (fresh or dried) to taste
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- flour
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (if desired)
- 1 jar of whole mushrooms (including liquid)
- ½ lb angel hair pasta
- 1 head of broccoli, florets only, steamed (optional)
Directions:Place chicken, onion, carrots, and celery in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and season with salt, pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Boil for 50-60 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and let cool (this can be for an hour or a day—just be sure to refrigerate the chicken overnight if you leave it out that long). Cut the meat off of the chicken in medium to large pieces and throw out the bones.
After cooling, skim the fat off of the remaining stock and remove vegetables (these can be eaten or tossed). Set stock aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour by the tablespoon to thicken, alternating with half of the chicken stock. The consistency should not be too thick, but not as thin as a soup. Once desired consistency is reached, stir in parmesan and add the jar of mushrooms, including the liquid, continuing to stir. If more flour is needed to thicken, add it slowly, stirring. Add the chicken (and broccoli if using) and coat thoroughly with the sauce.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta in the remaining stock until just cooked. Do not drain pasta, but instead combine with chicken and sauce mixture in a large baking dish. Tetrazzini can be served immediately or frozen for later use. (To reheat it, first thaw and then bake covered at 350º until warm throughout.)
If desired, before serving cover with parmesan cheese and bake at 425º for 30 minutes or until browned on top.
