Quite some time ago, my mother discovered this recipe after trying it at the famous Lion House restaurant in Salt Lake City. She loved it so much that she snatched it up, and it quickly became a staple in our home. Over the years, I’ve adapted it a bit to suit our family’s favorite flavors, and it has been a beloved dish ever since.
The key to the sauce starts with a roux, which is a simple combination of butter and flour cooked together to act as a thickener. The secret to knowing when you’ve got the consistency just right is when you can use your spoon to draw a line down the middle of the roux, and the mixture stays separated—you’ll see the bottom of the pot—for a second or two before it comes back together. This ensures the sauce will be smooth and perfectly thickened.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. linguini pasta
- 5 T butter
- 6 T flour
- 3 C chicken broth
- 1 C heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 2 whole green onions, green parts chopped (optional)
- 1 C white or Bella mushrooms, halved or quartered, stems removed
- 3 C chicken, cooked and cubed or pulled into bite-sized pieces To make this dish even easier, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken!
- ½ C parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ½ C cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Cook the linguini according to the package instructions in salted water. For easier serving and mixing, break the pasta into smaller pieces as you add it to the boiling water. Once cooked to al dente, drain the pasta and set it aside
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk the mixture together until it becomes bubbly, forming a roux. Continue to cook the roux for another 2 minutes to reduce the flour taste in the final dish.Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cook until the sauce thickens. Lower the heat and add the cream, mushrooms, salt, pepper, and cheeses. Stir often and continue to cook until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, green onions, and mushrooms to the sauce, stirring to combine everything evenly. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle a little extra cheese on top.
- Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and lightly browned on top.
