Freezer Chicken Tetrazzini

Description

This old fashioned casserole is a crowd pleaser. This is great for buffets and freezes well. Remember to allow a full 24 hours for casseroles to thaw in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• Roasting Chickens
• Chicken Stock
• Dry White Wine
• Bay Leaf
• Dried Tarragon
• Dried Thyme Leaves
• Broad Egg Noodles
• Butter
• Onions
• Celery
• Green Pepper
• Garlic Cloves
• Sliced Mushrooms
• All-purpose Flour
• Light Cream
• Dry Sherry
• Old Cheddar Cheese
• Black Olives
• Hot Pepper Sauce
• Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Fresh Breadcrumb
• Toasted Almond
• Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 and use a 13 x 9 inch baking dish
2. Oven poached chicken: place chicken in roasting pan on rack
3. In a large glass measuring cup, combine chicken stock, wine, bay leaf, tarragon and thyme
4. Pour over chicken
5. Cover pan tightly with foil
6. Bake for 2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 185f cool chicken in broth
7. Remove cooled chicken from broth, reserving broth
8. Remove all meat from carcass, keeping chicken in large strips
9. Discard skin and bones
10. Set chicken meat and stock aside separately
11. Tetrazzini: in a pot of boiling, salted water, cook noodles until tender but still firm, about 5 to 8 minutes
12. Drain
13. Rinse under cold running water
14. Drain and set aside
15. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tbs
16. Of the butter over medium heat
17. Cook onions, garlic, celery and green pepper for 5 minutes or until softened
18. Transfer to a large bowl
19. In same saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat
20. Cook mushrooms for 5 minutes or until tender
21. Add to other vegetables in bowl
22. Melt remaining butter in same saucepan over medium high heat
23. Add flour
24. Cook, stirring, until flour pulls away from pan
25. Remove from heat
26. Gradually whisk in reserved chicken stock
27. Return to heat
28. Cook, stirring until sauce is smooth and thickened
29. Remove from heat
30. Whisk in cheese, olives, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste
31. Stir in noodles, chicken and vegetables
32. Spoon into prepared baking dish
33. Serves 8
34. Topping: in a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, almonds and parmesan
35. Sprinkle evenly over casserole
36. To freeze: wrap well with plastic wrap, then heavy foil
37. Seal, label and date
38. Freeze for up to 3 months
39. To serve: thaw in microwave or in refrigerator overnight
40. Preheat oven to 350f unwrap casserole
41. Cover with foil
42. Bake in center of oven for 20 minutes, uncover and bake another 25 minutes or until heated through
43. If making to serve immediately, cook pasta a little further
44. Breadcrumb toppings become soggy on freezing
45. To crisp them, be sure to bake uncovered for at least 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp
46. Because casseroles dry out when freezing make sure sauces are thin before freezing
47. They will thicken once they are cooked
48. The best freezer cookbook