Chicken Cannelloni With Cheese Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• THE NIGHT BEFORE (or early in the day): Cook lasagna noodles in 6 quarts 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.

Steps:

• To make chicken filling:.
• Cook chicken until pink is just gone - do NOT overcook!Chop finely or grind.
• Combine oil, onion, celery, carrots and parsley in saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.
• Beat egg yolks in large bowl, add parmesan and ricotta cheeses and beat until smooth. Add salt, oregano, basil, nutmeg and pepper.
• Add chicken and broth and beat until well mixed.
• This may be covered and refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.
• CHEDDAR SAUCE:.
• Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour and stir until smooth.
• Add chicken broth, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in cheddar cheese until well blended and thick. Now add prepared meat sauce and cream.
• Prepare Hollandaise Sauce and add to cheddar sauce.
• Cook cannelloni shells according to package directions.
• When cool, fill each shell ( a small spoon works well) with approximately 2 tablespoons of chicken filling.
• Spoon a thin layer of sauce into two 9"x13" baking dishes.
• PLace stuffed shells in dishes side by side 5 to a row. Spoon sauce around and over stuffed shells and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.
• Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Serve at once.
• To make ahead: prepare the entire recipe to the baking stage and freeze.