Column: Great Date Plates; Night of the creamy chicken, part one
When I was a music major, I learned all about theme and variation. The basic idea is simple: you have a musical piece (think “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) and then you tweak it ever so slightly (or within an inch of its life so you can’t even distinguish what it is) and voila: a theme and variations.
I once listened to a man perform more than 30 variations of “Twinkle” on his oboe. I don’t know that I’d call something like that “fun.”
Anyways, you probably wonder what this has to do with food, but the answer, just like the idea, is simple. Today and next week I will presenting to you the theme and variation of one of my favorite (and easiest) chicken dishes.
The theme: Creamy Mushroom Chicken with Egg Noodles
Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts1 can of cream of mushroom soupEgg noodlesYour favorite vegetable
Directions:
Cook the chicken all the way through. I generally find it easiest to cook chicken when I cut it into smaller pieces.
You can either use a George Foreman grill on the chicken or put it in a pan on the stovetop (this is easiest – read on and find out why). Medium low heat should do it and put a lid on your pan.
Cooking tip: For some spectacular flavor, sprinkle some pepper and garlic salt on the chicken breasts before they cook.
Your chicken should have accumulated all kinds of great chicken juices and keep those in the pan – it just enhances the overall flavor.
Pour the cream of mushroom soup over it, making sure you’ve coated both chicken breasts. Put the lid back on and let that simmer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, cook up some egg noodles and a vegetable.
And that is it – simple easy. Dish it up, pouring on that beautiful creamy, mushroomy goodness over the chicken and noodles, and enjoy.
Mary Carman is a senior in American Studies and will be turning 22 this coming week. To send her a birthday e-card, email her at
mkimbercarma@cc.usu.edu.