Four Cheese Chicken Fettuccine

This is one of my favorites. It is not a healthy recipe, especially if you eat a lot of it, but I serve just a little of this with lots of healthy side choices. You can also make this a little healthier by making some substitutions which I will note as we go. I also forgot to take a picture so you get the pretty picture off the recipe card. It was from a Taste of Home casserole cookbook, but I just have the cut out card from it.

Four-cheese Chicken Fettuccine

* 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine (I know the box I buy is more than this and I just use it all which makes the dish go farther and spreads some of the creamy calories out farther ;)
* 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (you can use 1/3 less fat or fat free cream cheese)
* 1 can sliced mushrooms (fresh are yummy too)
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream (I have not tried these other options, but here is a break down of the creams normally found at the grocery store--Heavy whipping cream is 36% or more milk fat, Light whipping cream is 30-36% fat and Half and Half is only 10.5-18% milk fat. I will try the Half and Half next time and update on how it turns out.)
* 1/2 cup butter
*1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced)
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff not the kind you sprinkle on top of your pizza)
* 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
* 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Topping: Crushed buttery crackers (optional)

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. (I always put a tablespoon veg oil in my water to help keep the noodles from sticking together. I do this for all my long pastas.)

2. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan or stock pot, melt the butter and cook the garlic for a minute if using fresh. Then combine the soup, cream cheese, mushrooms, and whipping cream. Stir in cheeses; cook and stir until melted. Add chicken. Drain the fettuccine and add to the sauce.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the pasta and cheese mixture to a shallow, greased 11x13 baking dish. Sprinkle the crushed crackers on top if using (You can also make your own my mixing 2 tablespoons melted butter with 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs). Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Servings 6-8 (but I fed two families (12 people) with it and had left overs, no teenagers though), and you really don't want to know the other information do you? Just remember I told you it wasn't healthy, but definitely qualifies as a splurge meal. 641 calories! 47 g fat, 167 mg cholesterol, 895 mg sodium. I just hope that since I fed twice as many people that we only got half these numbers! Whew!