Mushroom and Chicken Pasta Casserole معكرونة بالفطر و الجاج

This is a really good and easy dish to make and its good for like parties and such instead of the regular lasagna. I believe Khaleh Rajaa told my mom how to make this and it has become one of our favorite dishes in the house. If you don't cook very much this is a good way to start, its easy and for some of you its NON ARABIC (ahem ahem Yaman and Nour).

In a pan saute mushroom until golden brown. WHATEVER YOU DO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO KEEP STIRRING THEM, this will release water and it wont caramelize the mushrooms.

See that beautiful golden brown...i don't like mushrooms very much but this looks good.

With the remaining butter in the pan (or you can add a little more) add flour and make a rue. A rue is a flour and butter mixture used to thicken sauces and soups.

Let the rue cook a little to remove the raw flour taste. It will bubble up like this which is good, but make sure to stir it, the cooking process only taste about 30 seconds of this bubbling up.

Slowly add COLD chicken broth (cold broth prevents lumps) and whisk until you get a nice sauce, let it boil. Add some milk to give it a little creaminess.

Return the mushrooms and the chicken (from when you boiled chicken and made a broth, shred the chicken before returning it to the sauce). If you want you can blend the mushrooms and sauce (not chicken) in a blender to make like a mushroom soup sauce but i didn't want my sauce dark so i didn't. I use to add a can of Campbell's mushroom soup instead of mushrooms but i don't like the additives so i don't do that anymore. Note the chicken is boiled chicken and the broth is used for the sauce.

The sauce should be runny, not as thick as like a bechamel because we are adding al dente noodles so that they thicken the sauce and so that the noodles absorb the mushroom taste.

Put everything in a baking pan

Cover with mozzarella cheese

cover and cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. (if you put it in the refrigerator it might need longer)

The cheese should be melted

When it comes out of the over it should be golden brown and yummy!!!

I like to eat it with salad (One of my favorite tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and fresh mint with olive oil and lemon juice....i like lettuceless salads)

Written Recipe:

2 chicken breast with skin and bone boiled (add onion, cardamon, cinnamon stick and salt)

(use 6 cups of the broth)

1 pound of noodles (1 box)

1 1/2 cups of fresh mushrooms (or campbells mushroom soup)

4 tablespoons of butter (more if needed)

8 oz of mozzerella cheese

1/2 cup of milk

4 tablespoons of flour