Is anyone else stuck in a between-holiday-eating limbo? On one hand, after no less than three Thanksgiving feasts in the past two weeks, I am definitely in need of some healthy goodness in my body. But, on the other hand, I’m kind of still grooving on creamy casseroles and holiday indulgences. I mean Christmas IS just around the corner….
So, I decided to compromise. I’ll let myself keep chowing down on the comfort food that is so appreciated at this time of year when it’s all dark and cold but I’ll health it up a bit.
Who else loves a comfort food makeover? Remember in the movie Clueless when Dionne goes, “Cher’s main thrill in life is a makeover, it gives her a sense of control in a world full of chaos“? That’s how I feel about comfort food makeovers. When my eating is a bit chaotic, a comfort food makeover gives me a sense of control.
That’s why this healthier, dairy-free chicken tetrazzini makes me so happy. Am I chowing down on a chicken and pasta casserole? Absolutely! Does it give me the warm fuzzies inside? Of course. Do I feel guilty? NOT. ONE. BITE. I mean bit….or maybe I do mean bite….
Seriously, guys, a few easy peasy swaps and this comfort food casserole becomes a guilt-free classic. Buh-bye guilt. That’s right. You’re not wanted here. So, how did I do it?
First, I upped the amount of veggies. You’ve got celery, mushrooms AND peas. Hello green peas.
Next, I nixed all the dairy. Instead, I used a small amount of olive oil and some light coconut milk for that creamy casserole texture. A little bit of smoked paprika and unsweetened coconut flakes add some punch to a dish that would be otherwise kind of blah without all the cheesy goodness.
Finally, we went whole-wheat all the way to get in some extra fiber – whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat pasta and whole-wheat bread crumbs. If you have a gluten issue, feel free to swap in gluten-free flour, your favorite gluten-free pasta and gluten-free bread crumbs. I’ve made this dish with quinoa pasta and it’s glorious.
GLOR-I-OUS!
Now, ‘scuse me while I get back to digging in!
Dairy-Free Chicken Tetrazzini
I used Cooking Light’s Healthier Chicken Tetrazzini as a jumping off point for this recipe.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 8-ounce package presliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more as needed)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (plus more as needed)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup fat-free (less-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- Pinch of smoked paprika
- 1.5-2 cups cooked whole-wheat spaghetti (about 4-6 ounces uncooked pasta)
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I used a rotisserie chicken)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, onion, celery, peas, black pepper, and salt along with the second teaspoon oil, and sauté 5-6 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add dry white wine and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually add flour to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- Add coconut milk and pinch of smoked paprika, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add pasta and chicken; stir until blended. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added a bit more salt and pepper at this point.
- Spoon pasta and chicken mixture into a small glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and coconut flakes evenly over the pasta and chicken mixture.
- Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes before serving.
We loved this. Made it with quinoa-rice pasta, leftover turkey and turkey broth that I had frozen from Thanksgiving, and gluten free flour and breadcrumbs. But I didn’t happen to have mushrooms, which would have made it even better. Served with roasted brussels sprouts with red onions and mango chutney.
Just one question: I used the smoked paprika you suggested in ingredients list, but it morphed into cayenne pepper in the directions (#4). Curious which you ended up using (or both)?
Thanks so much, and I hope your pregnancy is getting more comfortable…
Ann
Thanks for stopping by Ann! I’m so glad you liked the dish. I used quinoa-rice pasta as well and thought it worked perfectly. Thanks for pointing out the recipe issue – I fixed it! When I was writing the recipe I couldn’t decide between using smoked paprika and cayenne. In the end, I went with smoked paprika because I thought it would add a bit of depth. Though you could definitely use both!
What a great way to use leftover and this dish looks so comforting! Peas and mushrooms? YES! Great to know that I can make such a delicious dish by using leftover chicken 🙂
Thanks Maggie! Now that I’m thinking about it, I should have made a turkey tetrazzini and told people they could use their Thanksgiving leftovers! But, yes, it’s a great dish for leftover chicken!
I absolutely love this recipe Michelle. Casseroles are my favourite thing on the planet and your transformation of this dish into healthy goodness is remarkable. I will be making it – quite often, I suspect! I use coconut milk in my smoothie every morning and I love the health benefits. Thanks for a great dish!
Thanks Robyn! I can’t believe you make a smoothie every morning. I wanted to start doing that but I can never make it happen! I never thought of putting coconut milk in a smoothie either. You’ll have to put a recipe on your blog!
Ahhh, how could I not know about this dish?!?! Those pictures look ah-mazing, as usual, Michelle. I am SO giving this recipe a try soon. Aaaaaand, you’ve officially made me hungry. 😉
Thanks Margaret!!
I’m so hungry now!! Who doesn’t love comfort food in the winter? And unfortunately I haven’t had much of it this year, but I think that’s about to change…
I’ve had way too much this year!
Love this recipe! It’s beautiful– I love healthed- up comfort food as well. There are so many great ingredients we can play with to create nutritious meals, it makes the original recipes almost seem unnecessary!
Thanks Michelle! So glad you stopped by! And, I totally agree about the original recipes. Most times I like the healthy ones better. 🙂
Awesome recipe. Better than the dairy version.
Thanks so much Mary Ann!
Are you able to use liquid white cooking wine instead of dry white wine.
Hi Amber – yes I think that would be fine.
Do you know how this dish does if frozen before baking? We are heading to the cabin and I’d like to prepare it before we go so there is less mess in a kitchen that doesn’t have a dishwasher. 🙂
Hi Becky! I’ve never tried that but I don’t know why it wouldn’t work. 🙂
I love this casserole. I was telling my kids that I missed making casseroles since I’ve been off dairy for many years now. I found this recipe and even my kids loved it. Making it again for the second time.