chicken tetrazzini

here it is, y'all. our very favorite dinner here in our little home. now, it's a little time-consuming (a lot of prep involved) and you are going to dirty a whole lot of pots and pans, but i promise it's worth it. SO worth it. this is also a go-to dish for company because you can easily double the recipe, AND you can prep everything ahead of time, even the day before, bake it off when you need it, and dinner's on the table in 30 minutes. just trust me - you need to make this as soon as possible!

i adapted this recipe from giada, just lightening up a few things and modifying it down to about 4 servings. where you can reasonably take shortcuts (like buying the mushrooms pre-sliced, using rotisserie chicken), take them. it'll taste just as good, and you'll save yourself time and dirty dishes. ok, enough talking, let's get on to the most delicious dinner ever:

here's what you'll need:
3 tblspn. butter
1 tblspn. olive oil
1.5 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. pepper
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded (i always use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for this recipe, but if you want to cook them yourself, here's a great post about easy ways to do just that)
8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tblspn. chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup fat free half-and-half
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
6 oz. fettuccine (a little less than half the box)
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped italian parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 tblpn. dried italian-style breadcrumbs

preheat your oven to 450. spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. in a large, deep frying pan, heat 1 tblspn. butter and 1tblspn. olive oil over medium heat. add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. add onions, garlic, and thyme, and saute for 8 minutes. add the wine and cook for 2 more minutes. transfer the mixture in a bowl along with the shredded chicken.

the butter, olive oil, mushrooms, thyme, onions, garlic, and white wine simmering together is one of the most glorious smells your kitchen will ever experience

reduce the heat to medium-low and, in the same pan, heat 2 tblspn. butter until melted. add the flour and whisk together for 2 minutes. whisk in the milk, half-and-half, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper. increase the heat to high and cover. once the mixture is to a boil, uncover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, whisking often.

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. add the fettuccine and cook for 8 minutes. drain the pasta in a colander and add it to the mushroom & chicken mixture. add the sauce, peas, and pasley and mix well so that the sauce coats the pasta.

transfer the pasta into the baking dish. sprinkle the parmesan and breadcrumbs evenly over the top. dot the top with little bits of butter here and there (you can skip this to save some calories, but this is what will create those beautiful, tasty golden parts once it's baked).

see those dots of butter? that's going to be the best part...

bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is turning golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. allow to sit for a few minutes, then cut into servings and dig in! i promise you will love, love, love this dinner!!!

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