Chicken Tetrazzini

My Mom used to make chicken tetrazzini a lot growing up and we have a tradition of having it every Christmas Eve so it is just as much a comfort food to me as mac and cheese, pizza, or french fries. I am also always

looking for new casserole dishes too and this one jumped out at me because it served 12 and I could freeze it. The recipe has a note at the bottom saying its ok to freeze for up to 1 month, well we loved this dish so much that it almost didn't make it 2 weeks. I actually lightened the recipe too by using reduced fat soups, fat free chicken broth and reduced fat Cheddar cheese (Weight Watchers to be exact) and it was still really creamy and cheesy.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Southern Living

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package vermicelli

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1 (6-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Prepare vermicelli according to package directions; drain. Return to pot, and toss with chicken broth.

Stir together chopped cooked chicken and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl; add vermicelli, and toss well. Spoon mixture into 2 lightly greased 11 x 7 -inch baking dishes. Sprinkle evenly with Cheddar cheese.

Bake, covered, 350 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Note: Freeze unbaked casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed.

Creamy Chicken-and-Rice Casserole

Since I started coaching at night I've been trying to prepare a lot of dinners before I leave for practice, so I happen to be making a lot of casseroles. I found this one on CookingLight.com and its delicious and super easy. I made it the other night when Denis's parents were coming for dinner and I wanted to be able to spend time with them instead of cooking.

Creamy Chicken-and-Rice Casserole

CookingLight.com

Serves 6 (serving size: 1 1/3)

Ingredients

1 (6.9-ounce) package one-third-less-salt chicken-flavored rice-and-vermicelli mix with chicken broth and herbs ( I used Rice-A-Roni)

1 tablespoon margarine

2 1/4 cups hot water

Vegetable cooking spray

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 cup presliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can reduce-fat, reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1/4 cup crushed multigrain crackers (I used Wheat Thins, the recipe suggests to use 6 but I found it wasn't enough so I used about 15)

1 tablespoon margarine, melted

Directions

Cook rice mix in a large nonstick skillet according to package directions, using 1 tablespoon margarine and 2 1/4 cups hot water. Remove mixture from skillet; set aside. Wipe skillet with paper towel.

Coat the skillet with cooking spray, and place over high heat until hot. Add chicken, mushrooms, and garlic powder; saute 6 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color. Combine rice mixture, chicken mixture, sour cream, pepper, and soup in a bowl, stir well. Spoon mixture into into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine crackers crumbs and margarine; stir well, and sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Make-Ahead Tips: You can assemble the casserole ahead of time, omitting the cracker-crumb mixture; cover and chill in the refrigerator or freeze (thaw frozen casserole overnight in refrigerator). Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes; top with the cracker crumb mixture, and bake as directed.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Fingerling Potatoes with Grilled Corn on the Cob

Yesterday morning I was watching the Food Network and there was a Bobby Flay Grill It! marathon on so I was craving something grilled for dinner. And since it was Memorial Day it seemed like a natural thing to do. We actually have his Grill It! cookbook so Denis and I decided on a grilled chicken, potatoes and grilled corn. It was delish!

I am slightly scared of the grill especially since the one we have is charcoal. So this was a combined effort between Denis and I. My sister Aileen came over for dinner with her boyfriend Matty P. They always seem to be my taste testers when I try something new.

For this post I actually took some prep pictures as well because there was a lot of steps and a few different recipes. I also substituted white potatoes for the fingerlings because the supermarket did not have them in stock, but I've provided the original recipe below. I've included the instructions for perfectly grilled corn and how to roast garlic as well.

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Fingerling Potatoes

Bobby Flay Grill It!

Serves 4

Ingredients

12 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

Kosher Salt

4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breasts

6 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Fresh oregano sprigs, for garnish

Preparation

1. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with salted cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until a pairing knife inserted into the potatoes comes out with some resistance, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well, and when cool enough to handle slice in half lengthwise. (We didn't end up cutting the potatoes in half until after they were cooked because I was worried about them falling thru the grill grates.)

2. Heat your grill to medium. Since we were using a charcoal grill we had one side of the grill with more charcoal so it was higher heat and the other side with less coals so it was a lower heat.

3. Brush the chicken and potatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut sides down, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer.

4. Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic-oregano vinaigrette. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with oregano sprigs.

Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette

Makes approximately 1 cup

Ingredients

8 cloves roasted garlic (instructions below)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Combine the garlic, vinegar, honey, oregano, salt and chile flakes in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. The vinaigrette can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To roast garlic

Heat your grill to medium or preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Separate the cloves of a head of garlic but do not peel them. Put the cloves on a square of heavy duty aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Wrap the garlic in the foil and put on the grates of the grill or oven. Close the grill cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the garlic is soft. We cooked it in the oven for 50 minutes and it came out perfect. Remove from the heat. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the pulp out of the skins. Roasted garlic can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Perfectly Grilled Corn

Bobby Flay Grill It!!

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 ears of corn

Kosher Salt

Preparation

1. Heat your grill to medium. Again we used a charcoal grill.

2. Pull the outer husks down each ear to the stalk end. Stripe away the silk from each ear of corn by hand . Fold the husks back into place and tie the ends together with kitchen string.

3. Place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the corn from the water and shake off the excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover, and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a pairing knife. (Since we were using the charcoal grill, and we needed to make sure we didn't burn them, we placed the corn over the side of the grill that had less coals.)

5. Remove the husks from the cobs before eating the corn.

Friday Night Dinner Party

A few of my friends from Marist came for dinner on Friday night, we had such a blast, as always. I love having people over and trying new recipes. So we started out with shrimp scampi on garlic toast. The recipe is designed as a main course so instead of serving it in individual bowls I served it all in one dish. It was really easy and quick. I provided the recipe for separate servings below. For the main course I decided on a simple rosemary chicken and potato dinner with a homemade pesto caesar salad and garlic cheese bread on the side. I doubled the recipe and cooked it in a dutch oven instead of the skillet as the recipe suggests. The chicken wasn't as crispy as I had hoped but I think if I had browned 4 pieces first then removed them, then brown the second 4 pieces of chicken it would have been crispier. For desert I decided to try a molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream. It needs to be served warm so I was able to make the mix before everyone arrived and let it sit. While we were finishing dinner I pre-heated the oven and threw them in for a few minutes when we were done. The recipe calls for mint but I am not a fan so I substituted semi-sweet chocolate bits, next time I want to try caramel. The only thing I wish I had done differently is to grease the ramekins better. They didn't come out as pretty as I had hoped, because they stuck a little, but they still tasted great!

Menu

• Shrimp Scampi with Garlic Toasts
• Pesto Caesar Salad
• Skillet Rosemary Chicken
• Black Angus Garlic Cheese Bread
• Molten Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream

Shrimp Scampi with Garlic Toasts

Food Network Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

Kosher salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

8 1/2 slices crusted bread (I used a round french loaf and used 8 pieces)

1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact

3/4 cup dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth (I used wine)

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving (I didn't serve with lemon wedges because I changed the way it was served)

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

Preparation

1. Preheat the broiler. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes and cook 1 to 2 minutes; remove from the heat. Brush both sides of the bread with some the garlic mixture and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil the bread until toasted, about 1 minute per side. Divide the bread among 4 bowls.

2. Place the skillet with the remaining garlic mixture over high heat. Add the shrimp and toss to coat, then stir in the wine and lemon zest and juice. Transfer to the broiler and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer the shrimp with a slotted spoon to the bowls.

3. Return the skillet to high heat and boil the cooking liquid until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and chives. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and simmer 1 to 2 more minutes; pour over the shrimp. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pesto Caesar Salad

Cooking Light Magazine

Yields 6 servings (there was definitely enough for 8 servings)

Ingredients

3 ounces French bread baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Cooking spray

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup organic canola mayonnaise, such as Spectrum

3 tablespoons refridgerated pesto

4 teaspoons water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

1 garlic clove, minced

12 cups torn romaine lettuce

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Place bread in a large bowl; drizzle with oil. I used a large zip lock baggie to coat and I also added a little garlic powder too. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden, turning once.

3. Grate 2 tablespoons cheese; shave remaining cheese to equal about 6 tablespoons. Set shaved cheese aside.

4. Combine grated cheese, mayonnaise, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine croutons and lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle mayonnaise mixture over lettuce mixture; toss to coat.

5. Place 1 1/3 cups salad on each side of six plates, top each serving with 1 tablespoon shaved cheese.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Food Network Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large

Kosher salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves

1 clove garlic, smashed

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each) I bought larger pieces and had the butcher halve them for me

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

2. Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic , 2 teaspoons of salt and red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste with a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon. Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Black Angus Garlic Cheese Bread

Serves about 12

Ingredients

1 baguette French bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup shredded Monterary Jack cheese

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 bunch of whole scallions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced, and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Split the French bread loaf in half horizontally. Make several lengthwise slashes into the surface of the cut side of the bread.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, cheeses, mayonnaise, scallions and garlic until well blended.

3. Use a flexible spatula to spread the mixture on to the cut sides of the bread, working some into the slashes.

4. Bake cut sides up until the cheese mixture is melted, 6 to 8 minutes, then place under the broiler until bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

5. Cut the slices and serve.

Molten Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream

adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, 6 ounces chopped for cake mix, 2 ounces chopped for inside of the cakes

3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons flour

14 ounces of ice cream, such as Haagen Dazs

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease and flour 6 ramekins. In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate over simmering water, whisking until smooth. Remove the insert from the pan.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the whole eggs, egg yolks and granulated sugar at high speed until pale and very thick, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then the flour until just combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins and submerge 4 tiny pieces of the semi-sweet chocolate. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until slightly jiggly in the center, 12 to 14 minutes.

4. Invert the cakes onto plates, wait 20 seconds and remove the ramekins. Top with ice cream and serve immediately.