One of the dishes I prepared for our last Christmas day lunch in our old home in Makati in the year 2005 was Chicken Cannelloni. The young ones particularly raved the rich creamy Chicken Cannelloni. The recipe came from my sister, Lorna who modified it many times. I forgot to take a close-up photo of the Cannelloni dish but it’s the rectangular pyrex on the table. The great thing about Cannelloni is that I can prepare it a day before , freeze it and heat it on Christmas Day itself. It takes the stress away from cooking so many dishes in one day.

Cannelloni usually refers to rectangular pasta sheets that are rolled with a filling. However, sometimes the pasta dough is replaced with a cooked crepe, generally 3 to 4 inches in length and once rolled, one inch in diameter. After cooking the crepe (or boiling the pasta), it is typically filled with a savory stuffing which may include ricotta cheese, spinach, and various meats. It is then covered with a sauce, typically classic tomato or bechamel sauce, although many variations exist.

(wikipedia)

My Cannelloni version uses Bechamel sauce, chicken and ready made pasta as shown below:

Let me now share with you this very tasty dish that will surely make your family and relatives rave on your cooking skills.

My recipes can be used only for your personal use and cannot be posted in your website, blog or any other site, form (magazine, newspapers etc) or any other means. A link is appreciated though.

Procedure

Buy a box of Cannelloni pasta (photo shown above and can be bought at Rustan’s Supermarket). If you can’t find a box of Cannelloni Pasta, see below for the substitute pasta.

1 . Prepare Filling

1 kilo Chicken breast, boiled , flaked and chopped finely (set aside chicken broth)
1 can Ma Ling Luncheon Meat, grated
1 small can Liver spread
1/2 cup or (1/2 bar) butter
2 heads garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped

2. Prepare Bechamel Sauce.

3/4 cup (or 3/4 bar) buter
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cup chicken broth
2 (8 oz) cans or 2 cups evaporated milk
1 onion, chopped

• (a) Melt butter in heavy pan. Cook onions until transparent.
• (b) All at once, add flour and mix well with a wire whisk or wooden spoon.
• (c) Slowly add broth, making sure that (b) is mixed wel with (c). Then add milk.
• (d) Cook until thick. Don’t forget to lower fire when sauce is about to thicken.


(e) Season with salt and pepper.

3. Melt butter in kawali. Put in garlic and summer until light brown. Add onion and cook until transparent. Add chicken meat, luncheon meat, and liver spread. Add Bechamel sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Set Aside.

To assemble

1. Grease pyrex with oil or butter.
2. Pour enough Bechamel sauce on the pyrex dish enough to cover the bottom
3. Slowly add the filling into the cannelloni pasta. Carefully add the pasta and line them up in the pyrex dish until the whole pyrex is filled up to one layer of the pasta.
4. Pour the rest of the sauce just enough to cover the pasta.
5. Top with grated cheese.
6. Bake at 450 F for 20- 30 minutes. Or Freeze when mixture has cooled. Defrost in refrigerator or room temperature 3 hours before baking.

If you can’t find the Cannelloni Pasta, here is a substitue

1. Use large wonton wrappers.

2. Boil water. Add a little oil.

3. Use 2 wrappers at a time. When cooked, lift with slotted spoon.

4. Lie them on kitchen towels.

5. To assemble: Roll wonton wrapper with filling and line up in pyrex. Pour 1/2 of sauce, Repeat procedure until you have 2 layers on the pyrex dish (unlike the original cannelloni dough). Pour rest of the sauce. Top with grated cheese.