I love this chicken dish. When Randy and I first met, we dated for a little while and ate together quite a bit. I soon learned about his love of broccoli, pasta, and white sauces. He ordered chicken and broccoli alfredo pretty much everywhere we went. Well, Randy and I ended up taking some "time off" from dating and at the time, neither one of us imagined we'd ever end up married! One day, I was watching Giada de Laurentis on the Food Network, back when her show was "Everyday Italian." She made this dish and I instantly thought of Randy. I actually went to my computer right away and printed the recipe so I'd have it on the off chance that we ever hung out again, much less I'd cook for him. Of course we know how the story goes, we did end up getting married. While we were engaged, I made this dish for him for the first time and he loved it! It then became his signature birthday dinner for a few years.
Chicken Tetrazzini
This is the original recipe, which calls for linguine for the pasta. I prefer to use penne or some shorter pasta because it makes for easier division of portions. I also use only half an onion rather than a whole. :) Also, you can easily make this recipe up ahead of time and stick it in the refrigerator until you need it. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before putting it in the oven.
9 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces linguine
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs
Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.
Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.
Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.
Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.
Mocha Brownies
OK. Can Ree Drummond get any better than this???
Four 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Icing:
2 sticks butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the brownie batter: Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, being careful not to let it burn. Set it aside to cool slightly.
In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle in the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the flour to the bowl and mix just until combined; do not over mix.
Pour the batter in the prepared baking pan. Spread it to even out the surface. Bake until the center is no longer soft, 40 to 45 minutes. Set the brownies aside to cool completely before icing.
For the icing: In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Mix until slightly combined, then add 1/2 cup of the coffee. Whip until the icing is light and fluffy. If the icing is overly thick, add 1/4 cup more coffee. It should be very light and fluffy.
Ice the cooled brownies, spreading the icing on thick. Refrigerate until the icing is firm, and then slice the brownies into squares.
No comments:
Post a Comment