Chicken and Mushrooms over Biscuits

Earthy mushrooms, tender juicy chicken and some sweet baby peas bathe in a sauce that I would gladly have sipped from a cup.

Finding recipes you can make for your family in an hour or less that fit your budget can be a little daunting if you are trying to stay away from frozen, canned or boxed dinners.  For this dinner I spent approximately $12.04 for all of the ingredients used in the dish.

There are times I go shopping and pick up a few items with only a glimmer of an idea of how the ingredients will be used in a dish as was the case with my last shopping trip. For some reason I wanted chicken and mushrooms over biscuits but had no real idea how I was going to execute the dish. In these instances I take a couple of days to start conceptualizing the recipe in my mind and then set out to write out the recipe ingredients and a draft of how to go about the process. Then I type it all out and take my draft into the kitchen and begin working on the dish making notations as I proceed through the cooking process.

What you have here is the finished product: Chicken and Mushrooms over Biscuits, and it's good. It's damn good.

• 2 large chicken breasts - boneless/skinless (about 2 lbs.)
• 1 pkg. biscuits (your choice)
• 1/2 package frozen sweet baby peas
• 1 - 10 oz. package crimini mushrooms - cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup onion - small dice
• 1 large clove garlic - minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
•  1/4 cup or so heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. sour cream (1/8 cup)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp. flour
•  tsp. gravy master
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. fresh sage leaves - minced
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

1. Prep your chicken breasts: wash under cold water and remove excess fat and silver skin. Dry thoroughly. Season both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Prep your onion and garlic and have at the ready all of the other ingredients. To prep the mushrooms, use a sharp knife to make a thin slice off the end of the stems. Be sure that you wipe off any dirt with a paper towel. Cut the mushrooms in slices.
3. Heat a large deep skillet that over medium high heat. Let it heat up for a minute then add the butter and olive oil. Let the butter start to bubble then add in the chicken breasts. Brown on each side, cooking for about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken breasts to a waiting plate.
4. Turn the heat down to medium low and to the skillet add the onion and a wee bit of salt and saute for a minute or so until the onion begins to soften.
5. Toss in the slices of mushroom and some black pepper to taste and saute over medium heat stirring until they are light golden brown.
6. To the mushrooms and onions add in the flour and keep stirring and cook over medium low heat until the raw flour taste is cooked out - about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.
7. Slowly add in the chicken broth and whisk it until it is fully incorporated.
8. Add the sour cream, sage and thyme leaves to the pan. Stir well.
9. Add in the gravy master which will give it color and another depth of flavor. Add in the heavy cream and stir. Taste and adjust for salt or pepper if needed. Add in the peas and stir.
10. Place the chicken breasts in the casserole dish. Pour the creamy mushroom and pea mixture over the top. Lightly cover with foil. 
    
11. Bake the chicken in a preheated 350° oven for another 30-40 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°.
12. While the chicken is baking, get your biscuits on a baking sheet according to directions. When the chicken has 15-17 minutes left, pop in the biscuits so both will be cooked at the same time.

To serve: Take the chicken out and cut it in slices against the grain, or into bite sized pieces. Add the chicken back to the creamy mixture and mix in. Serve the chicken over biscuits that have been sliced in half.

Cook's Note: If you cut the chicken breast into pieces prior to baking with the creamy mushroom mixture, the chicken may dry out too much. That's the reason for leaving it whole.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Servings: 4 - 6

We could not find one single thing to complain about while eating this meal. Both of us really enjoyed how all of the ingredients blended so well providing balanced flavor throughout.

If you love chicken dishes and sauces, check these out:

Herb Cheese Chicken with Pan Sauce

Chicken Thighs with Roasted Herb Vegetables