Chicken Tetracini

I will be honest - I am not a mushroom fan. You would think a recipe like this one would hold no appeal for me. But I thought I would be adventurous and try it out and I am very glad that I did! We loved this recipe and I was even eating the mushrooms! The picture and recipe are courtesy of Mindika Moments and can be found here. If you want the ORIGINAL recipe you will need to visit her site. The recipe listed below is my altered recipe.

CHICKEN TETRACINI
MINDI ORIGINAL

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
*8 - 12 oz. cooked spaghetti, or pasta of choice (the picture is of mini-shell pasta)
2 C. mushrooms, sliced
1 C. grated cheddar cheese
3/4 C. Panko bread crumbs (I used plain with a bit of extra salt, pepper, and parmesan sprinkled on top)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large skilled heat 2 t. oil. Add the chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook until juices run clear.
3. Just before the chicken is done cooking, add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their juices.
4. Add ¼ C. butter and melt with chicken and mushrooms over low heat. Add the Flour and stir for 1 minute to form a roux.
5. Gradually add the milk and broth. Whisk until smooth.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened.
7. Add the cheese, stir until melted.
8. Add the cooked pasta and stir until incorporated.
9. Pour everything into the 9x13 pan and top with bread crumbs.
10. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
11. Serves 6 people.

*NOTE! The amount of noodles you use will really depend on your personal taste. The original recipe calls for just 2 cups which I didn't think was nearly enough. I cooked up an entire 16 oz. package of spaghetti noodles and it ended up being almost too much - although I do like my pasta with limited sauce. If you want LOTS of sauce, go with 8 oz. If you want a perfect amount of sauce, go with 12 oz.