That Chicken Gets Around! One Pot Chicken, Mushroom, Spinach Pasta

artemisnorth (60)in #cooking • 6 years ago (edited)

When I need a quick meal an all-in-one pot pasta meal is just the thing! This is another one of those meals I've been making for years and I noticed they have become the "cool new thing"... LOL!!!

A couple of nights ago I roasted a yummy chicken and made broth from the carcass. Tonight's meal is fast, cooked all in ONE POT and only takes about 30 minutes to make. The real beauty of this meal is the flexibility of ingredients. You can use just about any leftovers you have on hand or whatever you may be craving.

One Pot Chicken, Mushroom, Spinach Pasta

Main ingredients that won't change:

1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
half a medium onion, diced
approx 1 carrot, cubed
approx. 1lb of pasta
4-5 cups broth
1 pint or tin of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk

All the rest:

5 med white mushrooms, sliced
one breast of roast chicken, cubed
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
5 or 6 leaves fresh sage, minced
2 med handfuls fresh baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste.

Using a large pot, mine is a 5-quart, heat the pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once it starts to bubble add the mushrooms. Be careful not to crowd them or you won't get a nice brown. When you see moisture on the surface of the mushroom it's time to turn them over and cook for another 3 minutes. Next add the onion, garlic, carrot, sage and oregano. Saute until the onions are tender.

Now add the broth, cream of mushroom soup, milk, chicken and pasta. Bring this to a boil, turn down to med-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

This recipe works well using diced onion from my scraps bag in the freezer. It's also a good opportunity to use my homemade "Cream of Something Soup".

Last week mushrooms were on sale so I made 6 pints of cream of mushroom soup and kept half a pound for cooking and salads. If you google "Cream of Something Soup" there are many recipes and it's a healthy, convenient staple to have on hand.

If you're like me you may not have weighed the pasta so at this point you may find your sauce is too thin. Just take the lid off for a few minutes and let it cook down but no longer than five minutes or your pasta will be too soft. Don't worry, when it's done and sits for a few minutes the sauce will thicken even more.

I like to keep a bin of fresh baby spinach leaves in my fridge. They keep well for up to two weeks and are excellent for last minute salads. Put two handfuls of spinach ON TOP of your pasta. Don't stir it through because you want it lightly steamed. Put the lid on and allow to gently simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on your taste.

So there you have a guide to a One Pot pasta meal. Don't be afraid to mix and match ingredients. The carrots I used tonight were leftover roasted carrots from the Roast Chicken. This meal is yummy with beans instead of meat or you can use just vegetables. Whatever you enjoy.

Serve it topped with some parmesan cheese or a nice cheddar or just salt and pepper. It's up to you. Enjoy!

*NOTE: This meal freezes well.