Red Velvet Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #16)(22)

Ten minutes later, Hannah was standing in front of the meat counter facing Florence, who was wearing her butcher whites.

“What’ll it be, Hannah?” Florence asked.

“I don’t know. I was hoping you could give me some advice. I invited Norman over for dinner tonight and I don’t have the foggiest idea what I’m going to serve.”

“Chicken Tetrazzini Hotdish.”

The response was so immediate, Hannah was surprised. It was almost as if Florence had been hoping she’d ask that very question. “Chicken Tetrazzini Hotdish? I’ve never heard of it.”

“That’s because I just made it two nights ago. It’s from my cousin, Marci Watts, and she’s a really good cook. That hotdish was so good, I decided to give you the recipe the next time I saw you.”

Florence handed her a recipe card and Hannah looked it over. It looked easy and it also looked delicious. “Perfect. It’s exactly what I’ll make. Do you have any cooked, cubed chicken?”

“Sorry. You’ll have to cook and cube it yourself. But I do have some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just put salt on them, put them in a greased pan, and cover the pan with foil. Forty-five minutes at three-fifty ought to do it. That’s how I cooked mine.”

“Great. How many did you use?”

“I used four, but I’ll give you five. That way you can bake one for Moishe.”

“For Moishe and Cuddles. Norman’s bringing her over for dinner.”

“I’ll wrap the chicken while you shop. What else are you going to serve?”

Hannah glanced down at the recipe again. “There aren’t really any vegetables in this, so I’ll put together a nice garden salad.”

“A salad’s always good. Throw in some butter lettuce. This batch is better than the iceberg. And get some of those little grape tomatoes. They’re tangy and sweet. How about dessert?”

“I’m not sure yet, unless . . .” Hannah stopped and considered the new recipe Delores had asked her to test. Norman wouldn’t mind being a recipe tester and she could kill two birds with one stone. “Mother gave me a recipe I need to try. She got it from a nurse at the hospital.”

“If it turns out well will you give me a copy?”

“Of course. I like exchanging recipes with you, Florence.”

“Just one more thing before you go.” Florence leaned over the counter so that she was closer to Hannah. “Did Norman hear from Doctor Bev?”

“Not that I know of. I didn’t have time to ask him when I saw him today at the hospital.”

“Norman’s at the hospital?”

“Yes, but he was there to consult with Doc Knight about Barbara’s teeth. She broke some when she fell last night.”

“I know. One of the nurses told me. Poor Barbara. She’s such a good person. I just wish she hadn’t gone that close to the edge of the roof.”

“Me, too,” Hannah said, managing to keep her face perfectly blank as she walked off to do the rest of her shopping. Florence was a charter member of the Lake Eden Gossip Hotline and if she even suspected that Barbara’s fall hadn’t been an accident, the news would be all over town before Hannah even had time to get up to the checkout stand.
CHICKEN TETRAZZINI HOTDISH

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

1 and ? cups spaghetti (I used Ronzoni, half of a

one-pound package)

1 and ? to 2 cups cooked chicken, cut up in cubes

? cup diced, canned pimento (approximately

1 small jar—you can buy it already diced)

? of a green bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

Dash of sherry (optional)

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used

Campbell’s)

? cup chicken broth (I used a bouillon cube

dissolved in a half-cup of hot water)

? teaspoon salt (I used Lawry’s garlic salt since

there’s no other garlic in the recipe)

teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground is best)

2 to 3 cups grated cheddar cheese (or grated Italian

cheeses)

1 clove garlic finely minced (optional)

1 small can sliced black olives, drained (optional)

1 small can Ortega diced green chilies, drained

(optional)

“Slap Ya Mama” hot sauce (optional, for Mike)

Hannah’s 1st Note: Florence likes things on the bland side and while this hotdish is delicious just the way she made it, I spiced it up a little for Norman by adding a clove of garlic and a small can of diced green chilies. I also added a small can of sliced black olives to add interest. I served this with a bowl of freshly grated parmesan to sprinkle on top of each serving. When Mike unexpectedly joined us for dinner, I put a bottle of “Slap Ya Mama” hot sauce on the table for him.

Break the spaghetti into pieces approximately 4 inches long. Cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water, according to the package directions. (Mine cooked for 10 minutes.) Drain it and rinse it.

Place the cooked spaghetti, cubed chicken, pimento, green pepper, and onion in a large bowl. At this point, add any optional ingredients you decided to add.

Pour the sherry (if you decided to use it), the condensed soup, and the chicken broth over the top.

Sprinkle on the salt and the pepper and stir them in.