Chicken Cannelloni with Cheese Sauce

Yields:	1 casserole
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	Preparation	65 minutes
	Cooking	25 minutes
	Ready In	90 minutes

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Ingredients

1 3/4	cups	chicken	cooked, diced
1	pound	lasagna noodles
2	tablespoons	butter	or margarine
2	tablespoons	olive oil
2	each	garlic cloves	finely chopped
1	small	onion	finely chopped
4	ounces	mushrooms	chopped
1	each	egg	beaten
2	tablespoons	heavy whipping cream
1/4	teaspoon	thyme
1/2	teaspoon	salt
1	bunch	spinach	cooked until done

Cheese sauce
3	tablespoons	butter	or margarine
4	tablespoons	flour, all-purpose
1 1/2	cups	chicken broth
3	cups	cream, half and half
1	x	salt and black pepper	to taste
1	cup	parmesan, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1/2 - 1	cup	mozzarella cheese	grated, optional
1	x	spaghetti sauce	optional

Directions

The night before: 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 sautéed; 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.

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.

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.