Sunday Dinner at my house

I meant to post a pic of the tetrazzini before we all chowed down on it but I got distracted, besides everyone was hungry. I will do better next time, with the pic taking I mean.

The menu:

• Chicken Tetrazinni
• Rigatoni (ordinarily I don’t fix two main courses but did so for B.Gomer as he doesn’t like mushrooms and the Tetrazinni had some in it. I know, I know, I spoil my chillun’s)
• Green Salad
• Three Bean Salad
• French Bread
• Mango Juice (with little frozen juice cups that I freeze in my muffin tins)
• Pineapple Cake I sorta made up (white cake, with whipped cream and ½ cup sour cream with little bit of powdered sugar and a can of pineapple)
• Strawberry Ice Cream (storebought, it wasn’t that good, and I forgot Megs doesn’t like Strawberry Ice Cream)


Verdict: I thought the Tetrazinni quite good, although the comment ‘we used to call this Tuna Noodle Casserole when I was growing up’ was quite unappreciated and belays an unsophisticated food palette. Really, ld, there’s a discernable difference. Hmmph!

At any rate here are the recipes. I am always looking for make ahead stuff because Sundays are busy at our house and I’m always flustered. If dinner isn’t mostly prepared before church, it ain’t happenin’.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Serves 8-10

9 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (but I used leftover roasted chicken)
2 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ teaspoons pepper
1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped ( I put onion in my food processor as some fam members won’t eat it if the chunks are too big)
5 cloves garlic, minced (I have a big jar of Costco’s minced garlic that I keep in my fridge, It’s the only way to go)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried)
½ cup dry white wine (obviously, I didn’t use this, used broth instead)
1/3 cup flour
4 cups whole milk, at room temp
1 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temp ( I know, I know, you’ll wear this on your hips)
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
12 ounces linguine or penne
¾ cup frozen peas (I put in about a cup and a half, as I really like peas)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used dried)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup dried Italian style breadcrumbs (I used chopped up croutons that I mashed up with a 15 pound dumbbell as I ran out of breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 450 (yeah, that hot). Spread 1 tablespoon butter over 13 by 9 baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until just cooked through, about 4 min. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool a bit. 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 sauté over med high heat until the mushrooms became pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and sauté until onion is clear. Add the wine (or whatever you are substituting with) and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 min. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chidken.

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 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 or penne 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. (Can assemble ahead to this point).

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.

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Baked Rigatoni

Serves 8-10

1 pound dry ziti pasta or rigatoni
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (26 ounces each) jars spaghetti sauce (such as Classico or Barilla)
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef over
medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the
ziti, all the Provolone cheese and sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture,
remaining ziti or rigatoni, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.