RECIPE: For cream of mushroom chicken, kick the can
Cream of mushroom chicken is a classic shortcut dish usually made with just two ingredients: chicken breasts and cream of mushroom soup. It’s hearty and comforting, but the canned soup can come off as thick and stodgy, and it isn’t packed with mushroom flavor. Luckily, it is possible to make this weeknight dish quickly using fresh ingredients.
To get the meal finished in less than 30 minutes without turning to canned soup, you’ll still need to take a few shortcuts. First, cut down on prep by using pre-sliced mushrooms and a single large shallot, which doesn’t need to be precisely diced to tenderize in a matter of minutes. You’ll need this time to slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thinner cutlets.
The lightly thickened cream sauce is easy to prepare. Once you’ve browned the chicken and vegetables, add the cream to the hot skillet and bring to a simmer. It’ll cook down as the chicken cooks through, creating a silky sauce that will perfectly coat boiled egg noodles.
- 2 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces pre-sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Place the chicken on a cutting board. Position a sharp knife against one long side of one chicken breast parallel to the cutting board. Carefully slice all the way through the breast, separating the breast into two thin pieces. Repeat with the second breast.
- Pat the breast halves dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is foamy, add the chicken and cook until brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring, still over medium-high, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook, still stirring, until brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook, occasionally basting the chicken with the cream, until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
- While the chicken cooks, add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain well, then return to the pot and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir to melt the butter and coat the noodles.
- If desired, remove the chicken from the sauce and slice into bite-size pieces. Serve the chicken and mushroom sauce over the noodles. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 780 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 41 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 40 grams total fat (23 grams saturated), 252 milligrams cholesterol, 668 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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