Cheesy Chicken Bake

Mushrooms are so porous that if they are exposed to too much water, they will quickly absorb it and become soggy.

The best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water. To do this, wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or clean kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchen warehouse stores.

If using the whole mushroom in a recipe, simply slice off the very bottom of the stem, which is usually a bit spongy. If your recipe only calls for the caps, gently break off the stems with your hands and discard , or save for making soup stock.

Cheesy Chicken Bake

Copyright 2012, Christine’s Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken

1 onion, diced

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup French fried onions

1 (4.0 oz) can mushrooms, drained

1(10.0 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 (10.0 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.0 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked egg noodle pasta

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Break meat up, cook about 8 to 10 minutes, until no longer pink. Add onions and crushed red pepper, stir and cook about 3 minutes.

Transfer chicken mixture to a large bowl, add soup, and mix well. Add 1 cup of cheese, diced tomatoes, mushrooms and chicken broth, mix well. Stir in pasta. Transfer mix to 13x9 grease casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and French fried onions.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook about 10 minutes, until cheese melted. Enjoy!