Chicken Tetrazzini

What to do with leftover chicken or turkey? Canadian Thanksgiving is next Monday, 13th October and people will be looking for innovative ways to make the leftover meat appealing for everyone. Tetrazzini is an American dish that was made by a chef in the Palace Hotel, San Francisco. It was made for a long time guest by the name of Luisa Tetrazzini and was invented somewhere between 1908-1910 by Ernest Arbogast.

Serves 6

recipe adapted from Cooks.com

500g pasta (choose your favorite)
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
1 large onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 cup light cream
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. Add mushrooms to a large frying pan and sauté in 2-3 tablespoons of the butter, along with sliced onion, and chopped garlic until lightly browned. In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining butter and add flour; stir to combine. Add chicken broth, stirring over low heat until thickened. Add the cream, salt, pepper and sherry.

Combine all ingredients except the Parmesan with the sauce. Butter a large casserole dish and turn the pasta mixture into the dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered, at 200c (400f) for 20 minutes.

The Culinary Chase’s Note
: If you don’t like Parmesan, you can always substitute with an aged cheddar cheese. I mixed the Parmesan into the pasta mixture and then added another 1/4 cup Parmesan as a topping. Feel free to add chopped green bell pepper or peas for added flavor and color. Don’t worry about the alcohol from the sherry as it burns off during the cooking process and are left with a buttery/nutty flavor.