Chicken Tetrazzini {With a Crock Pot Version}

This is one of those meals that everyone in our house loves. I hope you all love it too!

Part of what’s great about it for the person cooking is that it can be cooked on the stove OR in a crock pot. I will tell you how to do each in this post.

So, first

Ingredients:

• 2-3 chicken breasts (cut in bite size pieces)
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 block cream cheese (8 0z.)
• 1 can peas (drained) (or one cup of frozen peas)
• 12-15 oz. artichoke hearts (cut in pieces)
• 1/2 t pepper
• 6 sliced Mushrooms (optional)
• salt to taste

Okay, so here’s what you do…

Put the chicken and chicken broth in a pan and turn on the heat to medium.  While it begins to cook, go ahead and dice up your onion. Once diced, add it to the pan. Let it all cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Then, take the chicken out and place on a plate. Now, add in your block of cream cheese. While it is melting, cut up your chicken into nice bite-size pieces. Also cut up the artichoke at this time. Now, I will say, I only do this because I’m eating with kids. I suppose if no kids will be eating the meal, cutting the artichoke is an unnecessary step. Your choice.

Now get a whisk or fork and break up your cream cheese as smooth as you can get it. There may still be some small clumps in it. Don’t let that stress you out. Once the cream cheese is mixed with the broth, add the chicken back into the pan, along with the artichoke, peas, pepper and mushrooms if you will be adding that in to the recipe. I never add mushrooms, but I know some people like mushrooms in their tetrazzini. So, if you like mushrooms, you will probably like them in this meal.

Okay, let all that warm up and meld together. Salt to taste and serve over pasta.

Now that I’ve told you how to cook it on the stove, I will give you the crock pot version, too. I have done it both ways, and it turns out great!

Crock Pot Version

Now, I just want to note that the ingredients can be the same as above, BUT if you want to use frozen ingredients, that’s okay too.

Crock pot version ingredients:

• 2-3 frozen chicken breasts
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 onion (diced)
• 12-15 oz. artichoke hearts (cut in pieces)
• 1/2 t pepper
• 6 sliced Mushrooms (optional)
• 1 block of cream cheese
• 1 cup frozen or canned (drained) peas
• salt to taste

When you cook the tetrazzini this way, you put everything in the crock pot except for the cream cheese and peas. Let it cook on High for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

When you get home (or 20 min before you are going to eat) add in the cream cheese and peas and let it all warm up. Whisk the cream cheese just like you would have if it were on the stovetop. Let it all meld together and warm back up and then serve it over pasta.

Note: It is a pretty thin sauce. If you want it thicker, just add in a tablespoon or two of flour until it is the consistency you prefer.

Easy peasy! I hope you enjoy. If you try this at home, please let me know how it went. do you already cook this meal? Do you do it any differently that I do? I love to learn knew ways to cook things!