Fast, Cheap & Tasty...Chicken & Mushroom Casserole

                                   
What I love about this meal is that it's really quick to make and I can be serving dinner within half hour of starting it which is great when you have hungry kids roaming around the kitchen saying, "When's dinner?". To get it served even faster, have a look at my tips below the recipe for ideas to have the rice pre-prepared.
 

                                     CHICKEN and MUSHROOM CASSEROLE



2 teasp. Oil
400g chicken breast, diced
1 medium Brown Onion, chopped
2 rashers Bacon, chopped
250g Button Mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup Plain Flour
1 T Dijon Mustard
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Thickened Cream
2T flat-leaf Parsley, chopped


1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook,
   stirring, for 5 mins. or until golden. Transfer to a plate.


2. Add onion and bacon to pan. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 mins. or until onion 
   has softened. Add mushrooms. Cook, stirring for 2 mins. or until mushroom 
   has started to soften. Stir in flour and mustard. Cook, stirring for 2 mins.
  Gradually stir in stock. Bring to the boil. Return chicken to pan. Cover. 
  Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 mins. or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Add cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, without boiling, for 3 
   mins. or until heated through. Stir in parsley. Serve.




VON'S HINTS:-


* I usually serve this recipe with rice but pasta would go well also. When I 
  make the rice I usually double what I need (but even if I don't I always
  seem to have so much left over) and wrap the leftover rice in cling wrap, or 
  put in a plastic container and freeze it. Having cooked rice ready in the 
  freezer is a great time-saver as you can just pull it out and throw it in the   
  microwave for those times when you don't have time to sit and wait for the 
  rice to boil.


* Also if you have an leftovers once you've finished dinner, if you can't use 
   them the next day for lunches, why not wrap portion sizes in cling wrap and 
   pop in the freezer for those times when you need a quick instant meal but 
   couldn't be bothered cooking.


* I often throw in a couple of extra rashers of bacon (chopped up of course)
   as the kids love it.


* I use fresh parsley from my herb garden I have growing on my balcony but 
   you can substitute dried if you wish.


* As a cost saver too or for when you don't have fresh mushies, tinned
   mushrooms or champignons work and taste just as well.