This creamy chicken and pasta casserole is sure to please your family.

1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups sliced mushrooms (16 ounce package)
1/4 cup dry sherry (or red wine)
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/3 cup light cream cheese
4 cups hot cooked whole wheat spaghetti
Tiny pinch of nutmeg
3-4 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup whole wheat panko
2 tablespoons parsley

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat olive oil in large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, garlic, thyme, pepper, salt, and mushrooms. Sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute. Remove vegetable mixture, including any liquids, from pan.
Melt the butter in the pan. Gradually add the flour to pan; cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add 1 cup of the broth, continuing to whisk until all the lumps are gone. Stir in the remaining broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese and the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta, chicken, and nutmeg and stir until blended. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.Pour the mixture into a large baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine the panko, parsley and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes.

 
 
This recipe comes from the mommy porch. I just love her title: ‘Seduce your man with Chicken Tetrazzini’. Well, even if this isn’t the most seductive or attractive dish, it certainly is yummy. The kids enjoyed the noodles and I liked the ‘adult’ flavour of the sherry (I actually used wine and it worked wonderfully). I love one-dish meals and I think this is a great one to add to my repertoire. Thanks Lynn from the mommy porch!