*  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                  CHICKEN CANNELLONI WITH CHEESE SAUCE

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Pasta

 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1 3/4   c            Chicken, cooked & diced
  1       lb           Lasagna Noodles
  2       tb           Butter or Margarine
  2       tb           Olive oil
  2                    Cloves Garlic, finely
                       -chopped
  1       sm           Onion, finely chopped
  4       oz           Mushrooms, chopped
  1       lg           Egg, beaten
  2       tb           Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half
    1/4   ts           Thyme
    1/2   ts           Salt
  1       bn           Spinach, cooked until
                       -----CHEESE SAUCE-----
  3       tb           Butter or Margarine
  4       tb           Flour
  1 1/2   c            Chicken Broth
  3       c            Half-and-Half
                       Salt and Pepper to taste
  1       c            Parmesan Cheese
    1/2   c            (to 1 cup) Mozzarella
                       -Cheese, grated (opt)
                       Spaghetti Sauce (homemade
                       -or store bought) (opt)

 THE NIGHT BEFORE (or early in the day): Cook lasagna
 noodles in 6 qts. boiling water for 5-7 minutes or
 until tender; drain, wipe noodles dry with a clean/dry
 cloth, lay flat on waxed paper.

 While noodles are cooking, melt butter and olive oil
 in a large skillet. Saute onion, garlic and mushrooms
 until they're tender; add remove from heat; set aside.

 Place cooked chicken in food processor and pulse until
 chicken resembles a tuna salad mixture. Combine
 chicken with the onions, garlic, mushrooms and the fat
 in which they were sauteed; add egg, cream and
 seasonings. Add spinach (cooked) and mix well.

 Cut each lasagna noodle into 2 or 3 pieces--each piece
 should be 3 to 4 inches long; place a tablespoonful of
 the chicken filling on each piece and roll into a
 tubular shape. If you don't want to make canneloni,
 just layer the ingredients like you would for lasagna.

 Arrange rolls next to each other, one layer deep, in a
 buttered baking dish; set aside while you prepare the
 cheese sauce.

 CHEESE SAUCE: Melt butter then add the flour and cook
 for a few minutes to get rid of the floury taste.
 Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking constantly
 to prevent lumps; add cream, salt and pepper. Cook,
 stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth;
 remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
 cheese and mix well.

 I like to use, both, red and white sauce on this one.
 I spoon over a strip of the white sauce, next to it I
 spoon on some red; keep doing that across the dish
 until the sauce covers the noodles. The red/white
 pattern makes it look pretty and gives the dish a
 little more flavor. It also cuts back on some of the
 fat.

 Spoon sauce over cannelloni in baking dish; sprinkle
 with remaining Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese,
 if used; refrigerate until you're ready to bake it.

 BEFORE SERVING: Preheat broiler; place cannelloni 4-5
 inches from heat and broil for 10 minutes or until
 sauce bubbles and top browns. If you'll be making
 lasagna, bake in a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes,
 or until it's bubbly and the top is browned a bit.



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