Creamy Mushroom Chicken with Mashed Potatoes.

This dish is a favourite in my home and I have wanted to share the recipe for quite a while. It is one of my husband's favorite meals and though it takes a little while, it is well worth the effort. It tastes amazing and you won't be able to stop eating!!!!

Mashes Potatoes 

Ingredients:

                    8 Big potatoes

                    A packet of milk (500ml)

                    Butter

                    Salt

                    

How to make: Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces. Put into a pot and add enough water to cover half the potatoes. Next, add half a teaspoon of salt, cover the pot and bring the potatoes to boil. After 15 minutes, check the potatoes to see if they are cooked. The potatoes are ready when tender. Now, drain the potatoes of any water and set it aside. 

Next, boil a cup of milk and add two tablespoons of butter. Once the milk is boiled, put the potatoes back on the stove on low heat, and begin to add the milk mixture as you mash the potatoes with a masher. The mashed potatoes are ready when the potatoes are soft and creamy. 

(To make your mashed potatoes even tastier, add half a teaspoon of garlic powder to the potatoes when you put it back on the stove and before you start to add the milk mixture; then mash).

It is ready when your mashed potatoes taste well-seasoned and are super creamy 👍.

● Mashed potatoes should ALWAYS be soft and creamy.

Chicken Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients: 

                  Cooking oil

                  3 Chicken Breasts

                  2 Cups of sliced Mushrooms

                  A medium onion

                  Milk

                  Butter

                  Half a cup of flour

                  Black pepper

                  Salt

                  Garlic

                  Chicken cubes

How to make: Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry. Next, season the chicken breasts with minced garlic and salt and set aside. (You will sprinkle the black pepper on the chicken once you put the chicken in the hot pan). Now, put a heavy cast iron pan on the stove and turn up the heat. Once the pan is hot, pour about 1 cooking spoon of oil in the pan and add a tablespoon of butter to the oil and once the oil begins to bubble, put the chicken in the pan and turn down the heat. 

● If you are using a non-stick pan, add the oil while the pan is cold as non-stick pans can emit unhealthy fumes. 

The thickness of the chicken breasts determines how long it cooks. If it is an inch thick, it will take about 8 minutes to cook on each side. The heat must be on medium low so that it gets to cook without burning on one side before turning it over to the other side. Do not turn the chicken. Let it cook on one side for 8 minutes before turning it over. If the chicken breasts are like half an inch thick, it will take like 4 minutes to cook on each side. Allowing the chicken breasts to cook slowly like this will ensure it cooks through and it tender. 

Once the chicken is ready, put it aside. 

Mix equal parts of butter and flour (3 tablespoons of each) and make into a paste and set it aside. Now put the same pan you used for the chicken back in the stove. (It will be slightly brown if you left your heat on low as you cooked the chicken). 

We want to use the flavor left in that pan, so now add some oil (2 tablespoons), and once the oil is hot, pour in the sliced onions in the pan and stir. Now, add the mushrooms, sprinkle some salt and stir as they fry on high heat for a minute or two. Remove the onions and mushrooms from the pan and now put the paste (butter and flour paste) in the same pan. 

It will immediately begin to dissolve and melt, so stir it gently until it is completely melted. Now begin to add the milk and butter paste and stir steadily. As you do, the gravy will begin to thicken. Keep stirring and adding milk until it has gained the consistency of a gravy but it should not be thick. (We need it to be loose). Now, season the gravy with chicken cubes (start with one cube and only add another cube if it is not seasoned enough). 

Add the onions and mushrooms back into the gravy and stir. If it is thick at this point, you may add some more liquid (milk or chicken stock). If you chose to add chicken stock instead of milk, you need to watch out for salt. Taste to make sure your gravy is tasty. You may also add a dash of browning to add some color though this is optional. (The flavor in the pan and the mushrooms and onions should have provided enough color). 

Immediately after adding the mushrooms and onions, let it cook in the gravy for about a minute then put the chicken back in the pan with the gravy. We need a few minutes for the chicken to heat up and soak up some of that gravy so reduce the heat and let the chicken cook in the gravy for a few minutes (3-5). It is ready and should now be thick and creamy.

Now, serve your delicious chicken mushroom with the mashed potatoes. 

(You may add a side of steamed veggies of your choice)