Officially one of my favorite fall recipes and it comes together in one pot, the best!! Between the juicy chicken, caramelized mushrooms and onions and melted cheese, this recipe can do no wrong.
Who knew French Onion Soup could get better? Try adding chicken and pasta but keeping alllll the cheese.
As I say in the recipe, I typically don't love mushrooms and typically ask for no mushrooms in omelets, etc but I was looking to give them another chance because I want to like them. OMG I LOVED them in this recipe! Seriously they just soaked up all of the yummy French onion soup flavor and made the recipe so much better.
While the chicken isn't necessary I think it only enhances this recipe. Searing at the beginning flavors the broth and veggies, plus it adds great protein.
I recommend serving this with a crusty baguette to really hit home on that French onion soup flavor.
One Pan French Onion Pasta with Chicken
4 Servings | Cook time: 25 minutes
Notes: For some who is not typically a mushroom person, they were my favorite part of this recipe, so if that’s you - don’t skip them!
Ingredients:
8 oz whole grain penne
4 oz cheese (I used 2 oz mozzarella and 2 oz provolone but gruyere or swiss would also be good)
3 cups low sodium beef broth
2 cups water
20 oz chicken breast (~2 large pieces)
1 large onion (~400g), sliced thinly
12 oz baby Bella mushrooms
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup half and half
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat a a large oven safe skillet/dutch oven over medium low heat. The pan should be dry and oil free. Add the mushrooms to the pan in one layer. Let cook a few minutes until they start to sweat. Toss around a bit and let sear some more. Continue this process until nearly all of the water has been removed from the mushrooms. This process removes any waterlogged water and ensures the mushrooms are not chewy.
After about 6 minutes of sweating, remove and set aside to dry on a paper towel folded on a plate. Use a cup of water to deglaze the pan scraping up any bits. Pour off into a separate bowl.
Add olive oil to the pan/pot over medium heat. Add chicken to sear and season the top with salt and pepper. After 3-4 minutes, flip and season the second side. Sear another 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside, the chicken will not be cooked through yet.
Deglaze the pan with another 1 cup water. Scraping up any chicken bits from the bottom and pour off into a bowl. Save this water for later.
Spray pan with nonstick olive oil spray and add the onions over low. Cover and let cook 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add salt to the onions, cover and cook another 3 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, cover and cook another 3 minutes. Add this point the onions should be very soft and translucent.
Add butter to the onions and sauté a minute or so. Dice the chicken into pieces and return chicken and mushrooms back to the pot with the onions.
Sauté a few minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked. Add in the flour and toss to cover with flour. Cook the flour a minute or so and then whisk in the beef broth and 2 cups of set aside water.
Stir in the pasta and bring the mixture just to a simmer. Cover and let cook on medium-low for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and stir. Repeat for about 15 minutes total or until the pasta is al dente and about 3/4 of the liquid has thickened. You want the mixture to be a little soupy. For me, the more sauce the better so add additional beef broth if needed.
Turn off the heat, whisk in the half and half and fold in half of the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining half of the cheese on top and turn the oven on to broil.
Transfer the pot to the oven to broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and serve warm topped with some fresh parmesan and alongside crusty bread or a salad.
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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.
