Emily Carter
Olive Garden is an Italian-American restaurant chain that first opened its doors in 1982. It has since become a popular eatery, offering a range of dishes, including classics such as chicken fettuccine Alfredo, shrimp scampi, and unlimited salad and breadsticks. One of their more unique offerings is the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken, which is a penne pasta dish featuring bite-sized chicken pieces cooked in olive oil with red peppers and a white sauce, topped with shredded mozzarella. The dish also comes with a salad, and some customers have noted that the chicken has a tender texture with a light crust. While the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken seems to be a current menu item, another smoked mozzarella dish, the Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta, has been discontinued.
Characteristics and Values Table for Smoked Mozzarella Chicken at Olive Garden
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Dish | Entree |
| Ingredients | Chicken, Smoked Mozzarella, Penne Pasta, Olive Oil, Red Peppers, Butter, Flour, Milk, Bay Leaf, White Wine, Hickory Smoke Flavoring, Salad |
| Preparation | Chicken cooked in olive oil with red peppers, mixed with penne pasta, and a white sauce made from butter, flour, milk, bay leaf, and wine. Sprinkled with shredded mozzarella and served with a salad. |
| Variants | Some people use regular mozzarella with hickory smoke flavoring, liquid smoke, or Asiago cheese instead of smoked mozzarella. |
| Availability | Discontinued at some point but can be recreated with customization requests from the kitchen. |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Smoked mozzarella fonduta
The Smoked Mozzarella Chicken at Olive Garden is a popular dish that combines chicken, pasta, and a creamy cheese sauce. While the exact recipe may vary, the key ingredient is smoked mozzarella, which gives the dish its distinctive flavour.
To prepare the chicken, bite-sized pieces are cooked in olive oil in a skillet, along with red peppers. Penne pasta is cooked separately and combined with the chicken and peppers. The sauce, which is the star of the show, is made by creating a white sauce base with butter, flour, milk, and a bay leaf. This is then infused with a dash of white wine and hickory smoke flavouring, adding a subtle smoky aroma to the dish. The shredded mozzarella is mixed into the sauce, creating a creamy and indulgent texture.
The dish is then assembled by tossing the chicken, pasta, and peppers in the fonduta sauce. It is often served with a salad on the side, creating a well-rounded and satisfying meal. Some people also add sun-dried tomatoes and parsley as a garnish, enhancing the flavour and adding a pop of colour.
While Olive Garden has its own unique recipe, many people have attempted to recreate this dish at home, sometimes with a few substitutions. Some use regular mozzarella with hickory smoke flavouring, while others have suggested using liquid smoke or hickory smoke seasoning to achieve a similar smoky flavour. This dish has gained a following, with many people sharing their experiences and variations, proving that the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken has become a beloved menu item at Olive Garden.
Unfortunately, it appears that the Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta, an appetizer featuring a blend of four cheeses, has been discontinued from the Olive Garden menu, much to the disappointment of its fans. This simple yet delicious dish was a favourite for many, and its removal from the menu leaves a cheesy void that diners eagerly wish to fill.
Popeyes Chicken: Black Employees' Safe Haven
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Chicken preparation
To prepare the chicken for Olive Garden's Smoked Mozzarella Chicken, start by cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Next, marinate the chicken in lemon juice and garlic for an hour in the refrigerator. After the chicken has finished marinating, heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken until it is done. Some prefer their chicken with a light crust, which can be achieved by using panko crumbs.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan. Add butter to the same skillet and cook garlic in the butter for 2-3 minutes. Next, add chopped red peppers and cook until they are tender-crisp. Remove the garlic and red peppers from the pan.
At this point, you can begin preparing the white sauce. To make the sauce, whisk in wine and cook for a minute, then whisk in half-and-half. Stir in Parmesan and Asiago cheese, and turn the heat down to a simmer, stirring to melt the cheese. You can also add a small dash of white wine and hickory smoke flavouring to the sauce.
Finally, mix the sauce with the cooked chicken and red peppers. The dish can be served with penne pasta and a salad. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, and, if desired, add sun-dried tomatoes and parsley.
How Chickens Survive After Decapitation
You may want to see also
Explore related products
White sauce
The white sauce in Olive Garden's Smoked Mozzarella Chicken is a key component of the dish. While the restaurant chain does not give out the exact recipe, some have attempted to recreate it at home. The white sauce is a classic béchamel, made with butter, flour, and milk, and flavoured with a bay leaf. A small amount of white wine is added to the sauce, along with hickory smoke flavouring, to create a unique taste.
To make the white sauce, you will need:
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Bay Leaf
- White Wine
- Hickory Smoke Flavouring
Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture forms a paste, or what is known as a roux. Next, slowly add the milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Add the bay leaf and stir. Continue cooking the sauce until it thickens, then add a small dash of white wine and hickory smoke flavouring to taste.
Tips and Variations
Some home cooks have suggested using chicken stock instead of, or in addition to, the white wine for added savouriness. Others have substituted the hickory smoke flavouring with liquid smoke, adding it to the shredded mozzarella or directly to the sauce. If you prefer a stronger smoke flavour, you can also use smoked mozzarella cheese instead of plain mozzarella and add smoke seasoning to the sauce.
Other Smoked Mozzarella Dishes
Olive Garden has featured other dishes with smoked mozzarella, such as the Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta, an appetizer with a blend of four cheeses (provolone, parmesan, romano, and smoked mozzarella) served with crostini. Another dish is the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken and Penne Pasta, where the white sauce is mixed with chicken, red peppers, and pasta, and then topped with shredded mozzarella.
Keeping Chickens Warm: Insulating Plastic Containers
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Pasta
Olive Garden's Smoked Mozzarella Chicken is a penne pasta dish with a creamy, cheesy sauce. The recipe includes chicken cooked in bite-sized pieces in olive oil, julienned red peppers, and a white sauce made with butter, flour, milk, and a bay leaf. A small dash of white wine and hickory smoke flavouring is added to the sauce, along with shredded mozzarella cheese. The dish is served with a salad.
While the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken dish at Olive Garden is a popular choice, the restaurant offers a variety of other pasta options as well. For instance, the "2 for $25 Italian Dinner" promotion featured a three-course meal that allowed customers to create their own pasta entree. Rigatoni, marinara sauce, Italian sausages, and bell peppers could be combined to create a satisfying copycat of the now-discontinued Sausage and Peppers Rustica entree.
Additionally, Olive Garden has a range of ravioli options, including the Ravioli Carbonara variation with bacon and the now-discontinued Ravioli di Portobello, which included round ravioli stuffed with portobello mushrooms and topped with a smoked cheese sauce made with sundried tomatoes.
Another popular pasta choice at Olive Garden is the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, which has become a menu staple over the years. For those who prefer a more vegetable-focused pasta dish, the Chicken Alfredo with added broccoli is a suitable option, although it lacks the intense garlic flavour of the special garlic Alfredo sauce.
Incubation Period: Hatching Chickens in 21 Days
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Recreating discontinued dishes
One such dish is the Smoked Mozzarella Chicken and Penne Pasta. This dish appears to have been a favourite among Olive Garden patrons, and while it is no longer on the menu, you can recreate it with a few simple steps. Start by marinating chicken in lemon juice and garlic for an hour in the fridge. Next, heat up some olive oil in a skillet and cook the chicken until done. Remove the chicken from the pan and add butter, cooking garlic in the butter for a few minutes before adding chopped red peppers. Once the peppers are tender, remove them from the pan and whisk in some wine, followed by half-and-half or milk. Stir in Parmesan and Asiago cheese, and if you can't find smoked mozzarella, use regular mozzarella with hickory smoke flavouring or liquid smoke. Finally, mix everything together, adding cooked penne pasta, and serve with a salad.
Another discontinued dish at Olive Garden was the Sausage and Peppers Rustica, which was once part of the "2 for $25 Italian Dinner" promotion. While you can't recreate this dish exactly, you can get pretty close by ordering a "create your own pasta" entree with rigatoni, marinara sauce, Italian sausage, bell peppers, and mozzarella cheese. This customisation allows you to enjoy a dish that may not be an exact match but is a satisfying copycat version.
The Ravioli di Portobello is another discontinued item that was loved by many. This dish consisted of round ravioli pasta stuffed with a portobello mushroom filling and topped with a smoked cheese sauce made with sundried tomatoes. While you may not be able to replicate the unique ravioli shape, you could try making your own ravioli at home with a portobello mushroom filling and a smoked cheese sauce.
Lastly, the Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta, an appetizer with a blend of four cheeses, was also discontinued. You can recreate this at home by baking provolone, parmesan, romano, and smoked mozzarella until golden brown and bubbly. Serve it with crostini, and you'll have a delicious starter that brings back the flavours of Olive Garden's discontinued fonduta.
Unlocking Characters: Ultimate Chicken Horse Secrets
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Smoked Mozzarella Chicken is a dish at Olive Garden that features chicken, penne pasta, and smoked mozzarella.
In addition to chicken and smoked mozzarella, the dish includes red peppers, white wine, and a white sauce made with butter, flour, milk, and bay leaf.
The chicken is cooked in bite-sized pieces in olive oil, and the red peppers are added to the skillet. The white sauce is made separately, and then mixed with the chicken, peppers, and cooked penne pasta. The dish is then sprinkled with shredded mozzarella and served with a salad.
Yes, you can recreate Olive Garden's Smoked Mozzarella Chicken at home. You can find smoked mozzarella at some grocery stores or online, or you can use regular mozzarella with hickory smoke flavoring.
Yes, Olive Garden previously offered an appetizer called Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta, which featured a blend of four cheeses (provolone, parmesan, romano, and smoked mozzarella) baked and served with crostini. However, this dish has since been discontinued.
