Chicken Cannelloni

Chicken Cannelloni

 Cannelloni is a lovely stuffed pasta dish very popular in Italian cuisine. Usually pasta sheets, cannelloni shells or manicotti shells are used. I improvised and used egg roll wrappers instead. Egg roll wrappers are a pasta, but a very thin and delicate one, which just adds to the appeal of this dish. Egg roll wrappers are also far easier to stuff and roll than cooked pasta shells, which can be slippery and messy and often split or fall apart when stuffing. The whole process goes far smoother when time is of the essence - which is always around here.

I love a good Béchamel sauce and usually make my own, but for a quicker and easier solution I've used jarred Alfredo sauce. Use a deep dish for this so the pasta will cook well and not be chewy or underdone. 

Almost better than dinner was dessert ... one of our favorite biscottis, Blueberry - White Morsels Biscotti - click for the recipe! 

Blueberry Biscotti

Chicken Cannelloni
Makes 12 - Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 egg roll wrappers - 5" squares
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil - crushed
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb cooked chicken breast - finely chopped
1 cup finely shredded Fontina, Provolone or Italian blend cheese - divided
1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo sauce or 2 cups homemade Béchamel

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk together well.
2. Fold in chicken and 1/2 cup of Fontina (or other) cheese. Set filling aside.
3. Grease a 9x13 deep baking pan with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup of Alfredo or Béchamel sauce across the bottom of the pan.
4. Lay out an egg roll wrapper and keep the rest covered with a damp towel so they won't dry out. Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of filling in the center of the wrapper and roll wrapper tightly around it. The rolls should be about an inch and a half in diameter. Lay, seam side down, in pan on top of sauce. Stuff and roll remaining wrappers and set in the pan in the same way.
5. Top rolls with remaining sauce, covering each completely. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of Fontina over the cannelloni.
6. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.



*Notes:
Liquid needs to be exact with egg roll wrappers. Too much liquid will cause them to fall apart and too little will cause the edges to be dry and crisp.
Spinach can be added once it is cooked and drained very well - about a cup for this size recipe should do it.
I used 50% fat free Alfredo sauce and 2 egg whites instead of 1 egg to help cut back the fat in this recipe.
**Originally posted at Family.com: http://family.go.com/food/recipe-788409-chicken-cannelloni--t/