My Mother's Cooking - Chicken and Mushroom Casserole
Chicken and Mushroom Casserole
My Mother's Cooking
What is Fontina Cheese?
===================
Easy Chicken and Mushroom Casserole
===================
Growing up in the 1950s, we didn't have much money and nothing ever got wasted. Anything that was leftover from supper was used for lunch the following day. The only exception was if there were enough leftovers to make an evening meal. Then my mother would find a way to make the leftovers look new and interesting.
-------------------------------
Whenever she had leftover turkey or chicken, she would combine it with cream of mushroom soup, canned mushrooms, frozen peas and whatever packaged noodles that she had on hand to make a tasty casserole.
------------------------------
Over the years, I have modified this recipe to include fresh mushrooms and red bell peppers, but I still use frozen peas because they usually taste better than the fresh ones and they are a lot cheaper. I also buy frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale and poach them in salted water when I don’t have leftovers.
------------------------------
You can use almost any pasta that you want, but I prefer wide egg noodles. I also substitute cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom soup.
===================
Difficulty:
Easy
Preparation Time:
60 Minutes
Cooking Time:
60 Minutes
===================
Ingredients:
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (or 2 cups of leftover boneless turkey or chicken)
12 Oz. of Button Mushrooms washed and cut in half
One Onion peeled and coarsely chopped
1 Red Pepper cored and cut into half inch squares
2-12 Oz. Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup of Frozen Peas
1 Package of Wide Egg Noodles
1/2 Stick of Butter
2 Teaspoons of Dried Basil or Thyme
1 Teaspoon of Salt
Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup of Grated Swiss or Fontana Cheese
======================
Cooking Instructions:
If you are using fresh or frozen chicken breasts, poach them for two minutes in lightly salted water or chicken broth. Drain them and cut them into half-inch cubes once they have cooled down.Rub the bottom and sides of a covered baking dish with softened butter.
- Cook the wide egg noodles in lightly salted water until they are not quite soft and then rinse them in cold water. They will continue cooking in the oven.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan and lightly brown the mushroom over high heat. Then add the chopped onions and the red pepper and continue cooking for another two minutes while continuing to stir. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, the frozen peas and the dried basil or thyme and bring the contents to a slight boil. You can add about a half a cup of water if it looks too thick
- Then add the chicken breast pieces and continue cooking until the mixture begins to bubble.
- Combine the noodles with the sauce mixture and bake for 45 minutes at 300 F in a covered baking dish.
- Sprinkle the Swiss or Fontina cheese over the surface and bake for 15 minutes more at 400 F until the cheese lightly browns.
At Thanksgiving time, my mother also used her leftover turkey and made a delicious turkey pot pie. I covered that recipe in another hub.
=====================================
How to Debone a Chicken Breast
How to Poach Chicken Breasts
Another Chicken and Mushroom Casserole
More of my mother's recipes
- My Mother's Cooking - Chicken Stew with Mushrooms, P...
Sometimes, when my mother cooked chicken, she would add her home canned tomatoes and peppers from the garden to make a tasty stew that could be served with rice, noodles or potatoes. We only grew green bell peppers in our garden, but now I like to us - My Mother's Cooking - Beef Pot Roast
One of my mother's standby recipes was for her beef pot roast. We all liked beef and this was a relatively easy one-dish meal. She would brown a chuck roast or a bottom round roast and then simmer it with onions partially covered with water. Half way - My Mother's Cooking - Baked Beans and Pork Chops
One of my fondest memories is visiting my aunt Anna and smelling the baked beans that simmered all day while our parents sat around and talked. This is my mother's recipe for homemade baked beans which is similar. If you add some pork chops while coo - My Mother's Cooking - Baked Ham and Scalloped Potato...
Around the holidays, my mother would bake a half a ham and she frequently served it with scalloped potatoes. Here are the easy, tempting recipes. Both can be cooked in the same oven if you have room. Remember to save the bone and ham remnants to make - My Mother's Cooking - Green Split Pea Soup
When my mother baked a ham, she always saved the bone to make soup. This soup made with split green peas, potatoes and a carrot is both simple and tasty. Add a sandwich or some good bread or rolls and you have a complete meal. You can also make it wi - My Mother's Cooking - Potato Dumplings with Bacon an...
How to make my mother's homemade potato dumplings with bacon and onions (we just called them kluski). You literaly can't stop eating them. Grated potatoes are mixed with flour and a little salt and dropped with a spoon into boiling water. Then they a - My Mother's Cooking - Pierogi Filled With Cottage Ch...
There are many ingredients that you can use as filling for home made pierogi. Mashed potatoes with cheese or onions is frequently used. Other fillings include sauerkraut, mushrooms, fried cabbage or even meat and fruit. My mother always used a mixtur - My Mother's Cooking - Potato Dumplings
Potatoes and dumplings are a match made in heaven. Most European countries make some form of dumpling using potatoes. The Italians make gnocchi, the Germans make spaetzle, klosse and kneodle. the Norwegians make krube and the Hungarians make galuska, - My Mother's Cooking - Boiled Potatoes and Potato Sal...
My mother often made boiled potatoes for our evening meal because they are easy to make and my dad liked them. Boiled potatoes can be eaten in soups or with butter or gravy. Of course boiled potatoes also form the basis for various potato salads whic - My Mother's Cooking - Pumpkin Soup and Potato Soup
My mother was raised on a poor potato farm in North Central Wisconsin where her family normally ate meatless meals. In the fall, when the pumpkins were ripe in their garden, they were used to make both pies and soup. Here is my mother's recipe for pu