A tetrazzini always seems like something you make after Thanksgiving with all the left over turkey. That seems like a pretty traditional preparation method for the dish.
I don’t think I have ever made a tetrazzini in any other circumstances.
Making this dish with chicken was a nice twist. Yes, it took a bit of time to stew the chicken. Not that I really mind that all that much. I have gotten used to making chicken that way.
You could of course save a ton of time by using leftover cooked chicken and broth.
The rice was another change from the traditional recipe. A tetrazzini in my mind usually has a noodle of some sort.
Making the dish with the rice gives it a bit of a chicken and rice casserole feel.
The mushrooms give the dish a nice earthiness. The cheese gives is some depth of flavor.
And of course, bacon makes everything better!
The dish had just enough of the sauce to make the base soft. The cracker crumbs and poultry seasoning gave the dish a lovely crunch on top.
Definitely a twist on the traditional, but definitely in a good way!
CHICKEN TETRAZZINI
1 Quart Water
2 Teaspoon Salt
5 Pound Stewing Chicken, Cut Up
1 3/4 Cups Chicken Broth
4 Ounce Can Sliced Mushrooms
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Cup Cream
1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
4 Cups Cooked Rice
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley
4 Strips Bacon, Cooked and Crumbled
1/4 Cup Cracker Crumbs
1/4 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
Heat water in a saucepan with salt. Add chicken. Cover and simmer for 4 hours. Remove meat from bones and cut up chicken. Heat broth with juice from mushrooms. Blend flour, garlic salt, pepper and cream. Stir into broth. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Combine rice, chicken, mushrooms and chopped parsley. Alternate layers of chicken mixture and sauce in a buttered 3 quart casserole. Top with a combination of bacon, crumbs and seasoning. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes.
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