Perfect Pair: Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini is perfect this time of year and is featured in the Capital Cooking Cookbook! This recipe makes me nostalgic. I used to eat this all of the time growing up and it was one of my favorites.

Learn how to make this recipe and more on my Meet Me in St. Louis episode: DC is a melting pot of people, culture and cuisine. This episode will bring some Midwest treats to the table including: Chicken Tetrazini, Gooey Butter Cake, Toasted Ravioli, and the St. Louis Cardinals Cocktail. 

The Dish: Chicken Tetrazzini

4 chicken breasts
2 bouillon cubes
9 ounces of thin spaghetti
1 stick of butter
6 oz cheddar cheese
6 oz Velveeta
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 large can of evaporated milk
8 oz of sliced mushrooms
2 packs of Townhouse Crackers

For this dish, we will preheat our oven to 350. You must start by boiling 4 chicken breasts in a large pot of water with two bouillon cubes for 40 minutes. I have already done that and I’ve also diced the chicken into bite-sized pieces. We have to butter the bottom of a 13x9 pan and place the pieces of the chicken on the bottom. 

Next, we need to boil 9 ounces of thin spaghetti in the same water that you used for the chicken. We will place the noodles on top of the chicken. Then we will take a large pot and melt one stick of butter and 6 oz of cheddar cheese and 6 oz of Velveeta. Always try to use butter if you can to avoid the trans fat. We will stir it until blended and then add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 large can of evaporated milk. Add 8 oz of sliced mushrooms to the sauce. Once blended we will pour it over the noodles and take a fork to poke food until the sauce soaks to the bottom of the dish. We will top it with crumbled town house crackers. Then we’ll bake it on 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

You can serve this with a green salad. It also freezes well and can be made the night before a party.

The Wine:  

The 2018 H Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of nettle, lime zest and papaya. The palate is medium-bodied with flavors of preserved lemon, nectarine and cantaloupe melon, complexed by subtle French oak nuances. The wine finishes fresh with a balanced texture and acidity.