A ready-to-eat chicken is as good as a pizza

By Carol Smaglinski

Just what is happiness?

It could be a hand-written letter from a dear friend, a compliment from a complete stranger or a simple rotisserie chicken you’ve picked up at the local supermarket.

How life has changed - that readyto-eat chicken is the ultimate convenience food.

People once raised and fattened up their own chickens. Down on the farm, folks chased and tried to catch the squawking chickens. With the rooster acting as a supervisor, not only did the backyard chickens have to be careful of hungry hawks during the day or owls at night, but also humans hungry for delicious chicken.

After being caught, the adult chicken’s necks were wrung, feathers plucked off and later stuffed into pillows, then the chicken was cleaned and readied for cooking.

Back to 2023. After dining on that rotisserie chicken, there are several recipes that can be made with the leftovers. Don’t throw out the bones, but rather make a broth. Next, with the meat, make a quick stir-fry, or even a delicious chicken salad, or chicken sandwiches.

Above all, when working with already cooked chicken and inserting it into a recipe that will be served hot, take care not to overcook that chicken or else it will turn dry.

One delectable recipe that will make use of cold cooked chicken is the satisfying Chicken Tetrazzini, which uses three cups of shredded chicken, a perfect use for the leftover poultry.

Chicken Tetrazzini was named in honor of internationally known opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, (1871-1940), a coloratura. This type of soprano is one skilled enough to handle music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills. The pasta dish is distinguished by bubbling cream sauce, melted Parmesan and tender spaghetti, a perfect match.

The singer had such a passion for

Italian pasta that she inspired a chef at New York City’s Delmonico, which opened in 1837, to create this dish just for her. Others might dispute this, saying the recipe was concocted in San Francisco and made with turkey. And then, chefs have been known to add diced canned pimentos and chopped scallions for a different flavor. What is interesting is that not every Italian pasta dish has to include tomatoes. If you are really in a hurry, substitute a can of cream of mushroom soup and a jar of Alfredo sauce.

Chicken Tetrazzini

5 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A pinch of nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

3 Tbsp. white wine or medium dry sherry

½ lb. sliced mushrooms

7 oz. thin spaghetti

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for 3 minutes before gradually adding the chicken stock. Stir gently until the sauce thickens. Then, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cream, wine or sherry.

In another skillet, saute the mushrooms in the remaining butter. In a pot of boiling water, cook the spaghetti, drain well and mix with the mushrooms. Stir the shredded chicken into the hot sauce pouring over the spaghetti and mushrooms. Then put both mixtures into a shallow buttered ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle with cheese and broil just long enough to brown the top. Keeping the oven door open (venting the steam) when broiling develops the crustiness you desire and will just cook the top of the dish.

Serve bubbling with hot crusty bread and a crisp salad.