Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Healthy Chicken Tetrazzini

  I have been so busy with the holidays lately that I haven't had time to blog! I also haven't had much time to cook. However, the other night I pulled out one of my favorites that I had in the freezer. It is Cooking Light's version of a healthier chicken tetrazzini. It is pretty easy to make and it is delicious! It makes two full casserole dishes, so when I make it I serve one and freeze one. It is so nice to enjoy a few weeks later when you get home late, but want a home-cooked meal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 (14.5-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
  • 7 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
  • 4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 (1-ounce) slice white bread

    Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Melt butter in large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper, salt, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute.
  • Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add flour to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
  • Add 1 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta and chicken, and stir until blended. Divide the pasta mixture between 2 (8-inch-square) baking dishes coated with cooking spray.
  • Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.
  • Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes.
  • To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cool completely in refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.
  • To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Thaw casserole completely in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 350º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover casserole with reserved foil; bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 1 hour or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes.

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