Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients

Serves/makes 8

500g / 1lb spaghetti or other long pasta, cooked

500g / 1lb chicken thighs, skinless boneless

500g / 1lb mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cm / 1/5" thick

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

2 cups shredded cheese

2 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp flour

1.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large pot over high heat. Add chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 1.5 minutes until golden. Turn chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until golden, then remove onto a plate (doesn't need to be fully cooked).
2.
Rest chicken for 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces or shred.
3.
Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
4.
In the same pot, melt 4 tbsp butter over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes until starting to go floppy but not yet golden.
5.
Add garlic and onion, cook for 3 minutes until mushrooms are golden. Add a pinch of salt and pepper halfway through.
6.
Turn heat down to medium. Add flour and stir for 30 seconds. Then add milk and stir for 10 seconds or until it thickens.
7.
Add chicken stock, cream, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens enough that you can draw a path on the back of a spoon.
8.
Turn off the stove and stir through half the cheese (to melt in the oven), then add pasta and chicken. Toss to mix, taste, and add more salt if needed.
9.
Pour the mixture into a 23 x 33cm (9 x 13") pan, smooth the surface, and top with remaining cheese.
10.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days; it reheats well.
Freezing instructions available: Store fully assembled dish in the freezer for up to 3 months.