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12 oz Spaghetti; cooked and still
-warm
1 T Unsalted butter
2 T Bacon drippings
1 lg Onion; chopped
3 Celery ribs; chopped
1 Green bell pepper; chopped
1 c Mushrooms (about 10-12 med.)
-minced
3 Cloves garlic; minced
1 ts worcestershire sauce
2 ts Chili powder
1 T All-purpose flour
1 1/2 c Beer or chicken stock;
-unsalted
3 Ripe tomatoes; preferably
Roma or another Italian
-plum variety
1/4 c Chili sauce
3/4 c Half and half
2 T parsley; minced
2 c Cooked chicken; diced or
-shredded
1/2 c Pimento-stuffed green olives
-sliced
2 c Medium cheddar cheese;
-grated (about 8 oz)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish. In
a bowl, toss the spaghetti with the butter, and set it aside.
Warm the bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the
onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, worcestershire
sauce, and chili powder together until the vegetables are well
softened, about 15 minutes; cover the skillet if the mixture
appears to be getting dry. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring to
incorporate it, and add the beer or stock, the tomatoes, and the
chili sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a
simmer, and cook the sauce for 30 minutes, until it has thickened
slightly and reduced a bit. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir
in the half and half and parsley. Pour the sauce over the
spaghetti and toss well.
Layer half the spaghetti and sauce mixture in the baking dish. Top
with half each of the chicken, olives, and cheese. Add the other
half of the spaghetti, and top with the remaining chicken, olives,
and cheese. (The casserole can be assembled ahead to this point,
covered, and refrigerated, overnight. Remove it from the
refrigerator 30 minutes before baking it.) Bake the casserole 25
minutes or until the cheese melts and the sauce bubbles heartily
around the edges. Serve the casserole hot. Serves 6.
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