Chicken Mushroom Tetrazzini

1/2 cup butter
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 pounds provolone cheese, sliced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sherry
8 ounces linguini noodles, cooked to al dente and rinsed
1 cup (more or less to suit your tastes) of cooked, shredded chicken, preferably breast meat
fresh parsley, diced

In a large skillet (a big, deep chef's skillet works well), melt the butter and add the onion and garlic, saute for a few minutes then add mushrooms and saute until tender. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir until it is absorbed by the butter and coats the vegetables. Gradually add the milk, stirring to avoid flour lumps. Add the sherry and half the cheese (you can tear it into shreds to speed up the melting process. Continue cooking and stirring until melted and slightly thickened. Meanwhile, arrange noodles in a large greased (Pam spray works great) casserole dish and top with chicken. Pour the cheese mixture over the top. Layer the remaining cheese on top, sprinkle with fresh parsley and add a bit of salt and pepper if desired.

At this point, you can refrigerate it overnight, cool and freeze it for up to a month, or bake it immediately for 25-30 minutes until the top becomes golden brown and the cheese sauce is bubbling hot. (If baking a refrigerated or thawed casserole, add another 5-10 minutes to the baking time and watch it carefully to avoid drying it out.)

An easy and elegant pasta dish for a crowd. You can ditch the mushrooms and scale back the sherry if the kids wrinkle up their noses. (Or you can make them some mac 'n cheese or spaghetti and let the adults enjoy a dish with grown-up flavors and textures ;o)

Makes 8-10 servings.