September 12: Chicken Divan and Egg Noodle Bake

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SAUCE
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 button mushrooms, brushed off with a damp towel and chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup whole milk or cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper

CASSEROLE
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 shallot
1 pound broccoli florets
1 pound chicken tenders, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine, or more stock
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 pound Gruyere or Emmentaler cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the egg noodles.

To make the mushroom sauce, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the EVOO and the butter. When the butter melts, add the chopped button mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, until just tender. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in the whole milk. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer. Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Cook the broccoli florets in salted boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and reserve.

To make the casserole, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of EVOO, then the shallots. Cook the shallots for 1 minute, then add the chicken. Cook until lightly browned all over and firm, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with the thyme, salt, and pepper, and deglaze the pan with the wine or a little stock. Reduce the heat to medium low and let the liquid cook off.

Preheat the broiler to high.

While the chicken cooks, drop the egg noodles into the boiling water, salt the water, and cook the noodles al dente (with a bite to them). Drain the noodles and return them to the hot pot. Add the creamy sauce to the pot and toss the noodles to coat in the sauce.

Lightly coat a casserole dish with the softened butter, then transfer the cream of mushroom noodles to the dish and top with the chicken and broccoli and the shredded cheese. Place the casserole under the broiler and melt and bubble the cheese until brown at the edges.

Garnish with chives and serve.

6 SERVINGS

This was a pretty good variation on the wild mushroom casserole from the other day. My husband likes mushrooms when they're with meat, not when they're by themselves, so this went over well in my house. I changed the fresh thyme to dried, and I changed the serving size from 4 to 6. I used half-and-half and Swiss cheese. Also, instead of spreading butter in the dish, I just used some nonstick cooking spray.