My husband Phil hates mushrooms and I absolutely love them. This is a bit of a problem. I can’t even order a pizza with half mushrooms because he ends up eating about 3/4 of any pizza we get. But when Phil decides to go on a golf trip, which happens often in my house, I get to cook with mushrooms.
Last night I made the most delicious little casserole with shiitake mushrooms. Asian mushrooms are extremely healthy, more so than many other regular mushrooms. They are a good source of iron and protein, and may help to lower cholesterol and boost the immune system.
Of course if you don’t like the earthy, rich flavor of Asian mushrooms, you can substitute any other kind you may prefer.
The recipe calls for a good all-purpose seasoning for chicken. I’ve been loving this specialty seasoning called Lesley Elizabeth Rosemary Basil Seasoned Sea Salt. It doesn’t have a strong rosemary taste, but it is quite good! You can buy it on Lesley Elizabeth’s website or on Amazon. Funny story about this seasoning: Phil made chicken recently for us for dinner and, somehow, it was like the best chicken I ever ate. I asked him what he seasoned it with. He said “that seasoning in the spice cabinet.” I had no idea which one he was referring to as we have about 100 spices. He showed me. It was this Lesley Elizabeth seasoning that I had never noticed, never used and that had been in the cabinet for literally about 15 years. Needless to say, I threw that one out and bought a fresh one on the website IMMEDIATELY. I was so happy to see that it was still available!
Enjoy this tasty, satisfying casserole-type entree with a side salad for a perfect meal!
Chicken and Wild Mushroom Bake with Asiago Cheese
This earthy and delicious dinner is easy to make!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1/2 sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms stems discarded and tops chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning or chicken seasoning I used Lesley Elizabeth Rosemary Basil Seasoned Sea Salt
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup black rice
- 1 pound chicken breast sliced thin into small pieces
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach chopped
- 2/3 cup shredded asiago cheese
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Melt butter and 2 teaspoons olive oil in large ovenproof skillet with sides. Add the onion and cook for about 5-8 minutes until soft and brown. Season with the salt and pepper. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes until mushrooms start to brown. Add thyme and cook for 1 minute.
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Pour in 2 cups of broth and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for about 1 hour until rice is soft. Check the rice a few times during cooking to see if it is getting soft. Add a little more broth or water at a time as needed during the cooking if the rice is gets too dry or the liquid evaporates before the rice is finished cooking. You will most likely end up using all 4 cups of the broth. Once it is soft and fully cooked, you can remove from the heat.
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While the rice is cooking, pour 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil on the sliced chicken. Season with chicken seasoning. Heat up a cast-iron pan or regular frying pan on the stovetop. Cook the chicken for about 15 minutes until brown and cooked through. Set aside.
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When rice is done cooking, stir the spinach and chicken into the ovenproof skillet with the rice. Top with the cheese. Bake in oven uncovered for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to substitute any kind of mushroom you'd like if you don't like shiitakes.
