Chicken tetrazzini, chicken spaghetti—or whatever your mom called it

 

 

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We didn’t eat much pasta in our house when I was growing up. Dad was a roast beef man, and Mom brought her German heritage to the kitchen. The closest I came to pasta was Franco-American spaghetti in a can. But as a young adult, I had a friend who was much my senior—probably close to fifty years. Freda Powell taught drama at the college level—with some famous students, notably among them Dan Blocker. And she entertained those drama majors in her home frequently. Her go-to dish was chicken tetrazzini which she would make in huge batches. We all loved it.

Recently I had some cooked chicken that I wanted to do something with, but what? It wasn’t enough for a full meal, so I was looking for something for one. And came across a recipe for tetrazzini that I could cut down to fit my need. Aha! Freda’s dish. Finding the recipe was like a reminder of meals from the past. When I made it, it turned out enough to feed me and Christian, who said he didn’t think his mom made tetrazzini. But when he tasted it, it was familiar.

Chicken tetrazzini or whatever you call it is easy, quick, and adaptable. You can make it for two or twenty. And you can make it ahead. Sometimes it just takes a little reminder to put a familiar dish in your dinner rotation. So consider this your reminder.

 

Chicken tetrazzini or chicken spaghetti (or whatever your mom called it)

Ingredients

16 oz linguini

½ cup butter, softened

4 half chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp. garlic salt

½ tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. pepper

1 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated (fresh)

2 cups Mozarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

Cook noodles al dente, drain, and set aside

In a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, sour cream, butter, chicken broth, garlic salt, parsley, and pepper. Mix together thoroughly and then stir in the cooked, drained noodles.

Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle both cheeses on top.

Bake, uncovered, in 350^o degree oven 35-40 minutes or until cheeses are melting and bubbly. Let it collect itself a bit before serving.

Serves 8. Leftovers will keep in the fridge, well covered, for three day. Frozen leftovers in air-tight contained may be kept for two months.

If freezing uncooked casserole, do not add cheese. Thaw in refrigerator, add cheese, and bake as above.

You may have garlic salt with parsley in your cupboard. That’s what the recipe specifies, but I don’t think it’s worth buying just for this recipe when you can combine dried—or fresh—parsley and garlic salt. That’s a bit of my mom’ d Depression-era frugality coming out in me.