Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee

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Let's make comfort food!

Let's make a skillet meal!  I'm definitely in!  It's super cold In So. Cal and I'm freezing all the time.  I went and bout a coat that was lined with Sherpa all over the inside, even the hood.  I need it.  This bone chilling cold is not making for a happy So Cal gal!  Bring me the sun, or at least some comfort food to warm me up until spring arrives.  I know I sound like a baby, saying 50's and 60's is cold, but for a native Californian, this makes me wonder how everyone living in snow states does it?  

So to keep us warm and cozy I decided to go retro and make Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee.  This is a dish from way back and actually refers to a cooking method of taking cut up meat, saute and then braise it in a wonderful white sauce.  I've added mushrooms for good measure and I must say this was so delish!!!

The best part is it is made all in one pan!  The sauce is served over the chicken and you'll have a wonderful, comforting dinner on the table in no time.

I've used chicken breasts, but thighs will work perfectly as well.  I hope you are keeping warm.  I'm wearing my jacket now, and it's nice and toasty!  This dish will keep you tummy toasty too and the whole family is sure to love it.


Enjoy!




Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee

serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
¼ cup white wine
1 tbsp. flour
1 garlic clove, minced

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup sour cream
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons lemon juice 

Pound the chicken breast to an even layer using a mallet. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and olive oil and heat.  Add the chicken and cook about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet and transfer to a plate.

Add the mushrooms, onions and wine to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and flour, and stir.  

Add the chicken broth, scraping up any bits on the bottom.  Return the chicken to the skillet, cover  and cook until cooked through, about 8 minutes.   Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a platter.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg yolk. Add in a ladle of the hot the sour cream , whisking to temper.  Add the egg/sour cream mixture to the skillet and stir to combine.  Add the zest, juice and stir to combine.  Pour the mushroom mixture over the chicken on the platter and serve.  

Sirloin Steak Tips with Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy

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Go figure!  I've had internet connection issues all week.

We recently moved and had our new internet/cable/phone service set up and everything was running dandy for about a week.  Then BAM!  my internet connection decided to go glafunky on me and it would go on an off about every 3 minutes.  UGH!  I couldn't get anything done.  Thank god for cell phones!  Using that as a failsafe was great but try to write a blog post on a phone.  Ummmm, nope!

So the nice techy guy came out and fixed us all up!   Who would have thought that it was wireless connection problems because the house was large and service in all the rooms just wasn't happening!

So now I'm back in business which brings me to my recipe today.  Moving is a pain.  I hate it!  If I never see another box I'd be in heaven.  Seriously.  So when you have to work during the day, come home and unpack some boxes, and then MGG comes home and looks at me like "What's for dinner?"  Ugh again!  I need some quick meals.  How about some comfort food that you can make in 30 minutes?  Yaaaaaaaaaaaassssss!

Sirloin Steak Tips with Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy

Let's do some sort of steak and gravy over mashed potatoes.  Sounds good and comforting to me!  Now, I've made several versions of steak tips before such as my Beef Stroganoff with Horseradish Sour Cream and my Beef Burgundy Stew, however I wanted something similar but fast!  How about a 30 minute meal?  Yes, you can have a delicious, succulent dish of steak tips smothered in a black pepper mushroom gravy in just 30 minutes.  Oh man!  Just give me the bowl already!

The trick is to buy a sirloin steak and cut it yourself into cubes.  Cook it until it is medium so that it remains juicy and tender, then make the black pepper mushroom gravy.  Simple as that.  Oh, and use leftover mashed potatoes, or buy some.  So much quicker.  You want nice hot potatoes on the bottom so they soak up all that meaty, juicy gravy.  The flavors are to die for.

So as promised this was done in 30 minutes.  MGG was a happy camper and all turned out right in the world.  Internet connection included!

Enjoy!





Sirloin Steak Tips with Black Pepper Mushroom Gravy

1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 (8 oz) package pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 fresh thyme sprigs

Hot cooked mashed potatoes

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak and sauté for 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan to a plate and keep covered.

Melt butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often.   Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly.

Add the pepper, salt, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef and any juices back to the skillet.  Continue to cook another 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Discard thyme sprigs.

Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

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Whenever I need a quick dinner I turn to stir frys. As you may know, this seems to be quite often as I have a lot of stir frys on the blog! A lot of which you all seems to love such as Spicy Beef, Snow Peas, Mushroom, and Carrot Stir Fry, Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry, and Caribbean Pork Stir Fry.

We recently moved to a new home and in the midst of unpacking we needed to stop and have dinner. The nerve, having to eat during the middle of unpacking! LOL!  So I turned to the refrigerator and found some chicken breasts just begging to be turned into a fabulous meal.

Using vegetables that I already had, mushrooms and broccoli, made the ingredient list. Now for a sauce. A simple use of garlic sounded really good and easy to pull together with pantry items, so Garlic Chicken Stir Fry was born!

GARLIC CHICKEN STIR FRY

This dish is perfect for a weeknight meal when you want to make something quick.  20 minutes is all you need to have a great meal on the table that is 1000x better than take out!  If you make stir frys then you will most likely have all the ingredients on hand.  I love being able to pull together stir frys in a snap, changing up the vegetables and sauce.  Have a stocked pantry makes this really east to accomplish.

Juicy tender chicken breast chunks are browned and coupled with crisp vegetables, and cashews.  All of this is then bathed in a warm garlic sauce that flavors all the ingredients and brings this all together.

Enjoy!

Note: Shared on The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck

Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

serves 4

1 lb chicken breasts cut into bite size chunks
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 Tbls canola oil
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
small head of broccoli, stemmed and cut into florets
1/3 cup whole cashews
4 cloves of garlic, minced

¾ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch

hot cooked rice

On a plate toss the chicken with the cornstarch.

In a small bowl, add the chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch.  Stir until well combined.  Set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet.  Add the chicken and cook on medium-high until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken from the pan to a plate, and turn the heat up to high.

Add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown.  Add the broccoli and allow to cook 2-3 minutes more. Add the cashews and stir and cook until lightly toasted.  Add the garlic and cook/stir for 30 seconds.

Return the chicken and any juices back to the skillet.  Add the sauce and toss to coat.  Serve with hot cooked rice.

Spicy Beef, Snow Peas, Mushroom, and Carrot Stir Fry

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We are having a heat wave here in Southern California.  In a time where we usually have June gloom we are having 100 degree weather for a week straight and no end in site.

The last thing I want to do is spend time heating up the kitchen to get dinner on the table.  Nope...not gonna do it.  So one can never have enough 30 minutes meals on hand for days like this, and because this is way BETTER THAN TAKEOUT there's no need to call out for food!

Today, let's talk about a one skillet meal full of beef and vegetables coated with a spicy sauce.  With one skillet (or wok) you can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.  Can't beat that in this heat!

SPICY BEEF, SNOW PEAS, MUSHROOM, AND CARROT STIR FRY

A nice sirloin steak cut into thin strips will give you nice tender beefy bites.  Make sure to cut it across the grain so that it isn't tough when you bite into it.  For the veggies I chose ones that cook quickly and compliment the beefy flavor.  Shredded carrots lend a touch of sweet, while mushrooms (baby bella or white button will both work) lend a earthy meaty flavor.  The snow peas lend crunch and texture and a pop of green to the dish.  Oh, and lets not forget to add in some cashews for a little crunch.  I love them and add them to all my stir frys.

The sauce carries the heat with the addition of chili garlic sauce.  You can adjust that up or down depending on if you want it super spicy or leave it out if you don't want the kids to have it.  The sauce is easy to throw together, but make sure to do this first, as stir frys come together quickly and you want it ready to put in a finish the dish off.  

So dinner is done in 30 minutes and the kitchen stayed cool.  But, it's still hot outside so I think a mojito is calling me while I sit and watch the sunset!

Enjoy!

Spicy Beef, Snow Peas, Mushroom, and Carrot Stir Fry

serves 4

Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tsp garlic, minced

Stir Fry:

2 Tbls canola oil
3/4 lb beef sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain into strips

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 1/2 cups snow peas

8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup cashews, whole

Basic Steamed White Rice

In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, cornstarch, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic.  Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and allow to heat.  Add sirloin and cook about 5-7 minutes until cooked to about medium well.  (cook less for medium doneness).  Remove from the skillet to a pan.  Add carrots, mushrooms, and snow peas to the skillet.  Cook about 5-7 minutes until mushrooms have let out their moisture and the veggies are crisp tender.  Add the cashews and stir to lightly toast.  

Add back the beef, stir the sauce and pour over the beef and veggies.  Mix to coat thoroughly.  Place on a serving platter and serve with hot cooked rice.

Attention-Grabbing Jalapeno Mushroom Sliders

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Memorial Day is around the corner and it's time to "Spice Up" your Sliders!

Memorial Day always marks the unofficial start of summer which goes hand in hand with grilling.  Since the weather here has been warm enough to grill for a month or so we've already started making great dishes on the grill, but no matter what we always have a cook-out for Memorial Day.

This year we aren't just making any ole' sliders.  Nope!  We are going to "Spice Up" our palate and our lives with a little add-in to the burgers.  We decided to add sautéed jalapenos and mushrooms to the mix to create one irresistibly juicy, and flavorful slider!

ATTENTION-GRABBING JALAPENO MUSHROOM SLIDERS

This is my riff on my favorite burger, the mushroom Swiss burger with a spicy twist.  The mushrooms and jalapeno are sautéed and added to the meat mixture instead of being used as toppings.  This is a lot easier to control than having them sit on top of a small slider.  This created a wonderfully juicy and tasty burger!

They take a little prep work but the end result is an Attention-Grabbing Jalapeno Mushroom Slider!  They are only mildly spicy but you can adjust that to your liking by adding more or less diced jalapeno.  Additionally, the cheese is optional.  We added cheese to about half of our burgers and left the other plain.  Serve with your favorite fixings, and possibly a spicy burger sauce and you are set for a sizzling main dish!

Enjoy!




Attention-Grabbing Jalapeno Mushroom Sliders

makes 12

1 lb ground sirloin (10%)
8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 Tbls olive oil
Kosher salt
2 jalapenos, finely diced
salt and pepper
Swiss cheese (optional)
12 slider buns, split and buttered


Preheat a gas or charcoal grill, or they may be grilled indoors on a grill pan.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and mushrooms.  Cook mushrooms 3-4 minutes until they start to get tender.  Sprinkle salt over the mushrooms and they will release their moisture and start to turn a golden brown.  Cook an additional 3-4 minutes until golden and remove from the skillet to a cutting board. 

Add the diced jalapeno to the skillet and cook about 3 minutes until softened.  Watch them while cooking as they can burn easily and may pop up on the pan while cooking.

Cut the mushrooms into small pieces and add to a large bowl.  Add the sautéed jalapeno to the bowl as well.  Sprinkle the ground sirloin over the veggies in the bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to season.  Mix until well combined but don't overwork the meat.  Form 12 equal patties and place them on a platter.

Grill patties 3-4 minutes per side for well done patties.  If you are adding cheese, add it to the patties once your flip the burger to the second side.  Add buttered buns to the grill to toast.  Remove patties and buns to a platter.  Serve with condiments and fixings of your choice.

Sheet Pan Mediterranean Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Vegetables

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A whole meal cooked on one baking sheet!  Quick and easy to assemble, and extremely flavorful. Sheet pans are the new "One Pot" cooking method and it's ingenious!

When life gets busy who doesn't love a quick and easy meal?  By using your oven and a sheet pan you can create a fabulous dinner in a snap!  One that your entire family will love. I often turn to stir frys but roasting in the oven is just as easy and healthy to boot.   Everything is cooked on the same pan which makes life a breeze.  And speaking of breeze, the clean up....simple - one and done!

So there is a craze that I'm sure you've noticed about sheet pan cooking.  Recipes are everywhere right now.  Even my favorite local teaching chef recently made a delicious chicken searing on a sheet pan, (recipe coming soon) and with good reason too.  They are simple to make, they allow you to cook the main and side dishes together and they are healthier for you!  I've even joined in with a previous post for Simple Citrus Herb Chicken and Tomatoes.

This recipe takes a little bit of prep for the chicken, (coating in bread crumbs) but uses ingredients that I always have on hand, such and lemons (we eat a lot of dishes with lemons...) and vegetables like mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and zucchini.  These are staples in our house and lend the Mediterranean flavors to the meal.  The chicken and vegetables are able to cook at the same time because I used thin cut chicken breasts which take no time to roast, and the vegetables are soft and take the same cooking time.  If you wanted to use carrots, potatoes, or other (harder) vegetables you will have different cooking times and will need to start those first then add the chicken after 15 minutes and continue on.

By roasting the chicken it stays nice and tender while the vegetables caramelize and crisp, especially when those tomatoes start to burst...oh boy!  It makes my mouth water thinking about it.  The best part is a great meal with little effort.  Perfect for a weeknight. 

Enjoy!


TIPS FOR COOKING THIS SHEET PAN MEDITERRANEAN LEMON PARMESAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES:

• Use a LARGE sheet pan such as this one
• Use parchment paper for easy clean up
• Buy thin cut chicken breasts, or slice a regular breast in half lengthwise
• Try and find a lemon pepper that does not contain salt - I use this one here

Sheet Pan Mediterranean Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Vegetables

serves 4

4 thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts        

1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 lemons, separated
2 tsp garlic, minced 
5 Tbls butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 large zucchini, cut lengthwise and then into slices

8 oz of baby bella mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil
Garnish: fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  If desired, place parchment paper on a large sheet pan with edges.

Add flour to a pie pan.  Add bread crumbs, Parmesan and garlic powder to another pie pan and stir to combine.  To a third pie pan add the zest and juice of 1 lemon, minced garlic, and melted butter. 

Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in the lemon butter mixture, then coat in the bread crumb mixture.  Place on prepared sheet pan.  Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning over the chicken. 

Place cherry tomatoes, sliced zucchini, and mushrooms around the chicken.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn chicken over, sprinkle this side with lemon pepper seasoning.  Place 4 slices of lemon (from the remaining lemon) on top of the chicken.  Return to oven to bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees internally and is golden brown.  Vegetables should be soft and roasted and tomatoes should be bursting open.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and plate.  Serve.

Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

When I was growing up I used to cook lunch for my Dad.

I can hear him now calling me, "Bessie Annie come make me a hamburger steak, will you punkin?"

Boy, I remember making these so called Hamburger Steaks often.  Sometimes with onions and beef gravy.  Sometimes plain.  He loved them.  We all did.

Mom would make them ever so often because the use of ground beef was an inexpensive way to feed a family.  Plus...they taste darn good!

I never understand why they called them steaks though.  Technically they were a hamburger pattie, not steak.  But we always formed them a little thicker than your normal pattie, and they were made an oval shape.  I'm sure this was to make it appear more like a steak.  

Regardless of my fascination with the name, I love the flavor all the same.

So craving a Hamburger Steak I decided to make my own with a mushroom gravy.  I'm fond of mushrooms.

MGG is fond of mushrooms.  

Perfect combo.

Break out the ground sirloin for top flavor.  You can't get much easier than this.  Just make the "steaks" and gravy, add some sides and you are set for dinner.  A great hearty meal that's inexpensive, and perfect for a weeknight dinner. 

An ode to my Dad!

Enjoy!

Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

serves 4

1 lb of ground sirloin
salt and pepper
8 oz of sliced mushrooms
1 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon flour

Divide beef into 4 sections.  Form 4 oval patties about 1 inch thick.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add patties and until done.  About 8-9 minutes turning once.

Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook until tender.  Add 1/2 cup of broth to the mushrooms.  Allow to boil.  Add flour to the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth.  Stir to combine.  Add remaining broth to skillet and stir to combine.  Allowing to boil. Cook 1 minute.  Broth will thicken.

Serve hamburger steaks with mushrooms and gravy poured over top.

My Favorite Burger: The Mushroom Swiss Burger

We're still grilling here in Southern California!

The weather is nice, still a little hot during the day.  So why not utilize this great weather with more grilled dinners.   Eating outside, with food hot off the grill.  That's what a late summer is all about.  Food, family, friends, and good times!

We love a good burger and have made many versions.  I recall a conversation with my mom about her favorite burger which was the original burger, no frills and thrills.  She used to mention all the time that her sister and brother in-law (my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Gene) always made Bacon Cheeseburgers.  She had never had one.

After a few times mentioning this story to me about my Aunt and Uncles' Bacon Cheeseburgers, and the fact she had never had one...I decided it was time to make my mom the best bacon cheeseburger ever!  She gobbled it down in 3 seconds...okay, maybe it was 5 minutes.  Although she loved the Bacon Cheeseburger, I don't think that ever became her favorite though.

I tell you this because everyone has their own favorite hamburger.  Mine is a Mushroom Swiss Burger.  There is just something about that melted Swiss cheese and the meaty mushrooms on top of a burger.  It makes it "meatier" somehow.  I just absolutely love them.  I try to order one every now and then when we find ourselves in a good burger joint, but I don't make them at home that often.  I wonder why not?  Anyway I decided it's high time that I did!

So here's to my favorite burger!  Oh, and I served that wonderful Tomato Salad with it.....a perfect side dish.  What's your favorite burger?

Mushroom Swiss Burger

serves 4

1 lb 10% ground sirloin
1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce (or use 2 tsp of Williams-Sonoma's Burger Starter)
salt and pepper
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 T butter
4 slices of Swiss cheese
4 kaiser rolls

Place ground beef into a bowl and add Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix to combine but don't handle too much. (use a light, light touch) Form 4 patties.  Set aside.

In a skillet over medium high heat add butter and mushrooms.  Stir and cook until soft and moisture is released.  Set mushrooms aside.  Cook patties in skillet about 7-8 minutes flipping once, until desired doneness.  (you may do this on a grill as well) Add a cheese slice to each pattie and cook 1-2 more minutes until the cheese melts.  Remove from skillet.   Add kaiser rolls to the skillet and brown 1-2 minutes.

Top buns with burgers and mushrooms.  Use additional toppings as desired.


Here are some more burgers you may enjoy:

The Best Stuffed Cheeseburger

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers