Creamy Chicken Linguine Casserole

This recipe is from Cooking with Paula Deen July/Aug 2011. The recipe is actually called Chicken Tetrazzini, but I tell you I have had a lot of unpleasant dishes called Tetrazzini so I'm giving it a more descriptive name. I've made this twice now, my family gave it a thumbs up and requested a repeat.


Creamy Chicken Linguine Casserole

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (or 1 family sized large can)
1 (5 oz) tub of shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup water (or boil the pasta in chicken broth & use 1/2 cup of that)
1 cup frozen green peas (I use about 1 1/2 cups, I like green peas in creamy dishes)
12 oz linguine, cooked & kept warm (finally a recipe that CALLS for the cheater 12 oz package) I like to break the noodles in half before adding them to the cooking water, this will make them easier to mix, later.
3/4 cup coarsely crushed round buttery crackers (Ritz Crackers 1 1/2 sleeves crush in a zip loc bag)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray (to avoid getting the counter messy with overspray, open your dishwasher, set the dish on the open door & spray, it will get cleaned up next time you run your dishwasher).

Add butter and onions to a large non-stick skillet, sauté over medium heat until soft, add the garlic on top and stir around for a few minutes. Push the onions & garlic mixture to the side of the pan and add the chicken pieces to the center. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes moving the chicken around as needed, until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove pan from heat, stir in mushroom soup, sour cream, 1/2 cup of water (or chicken broth) and cheese. Stir until combined then add the frozen peas. Now mix in the linguine and pour into prepared casserole mix. Top with crushed crackers.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in 350 degree oven.

Cooking with Paula Deen July/Aug 2011