We have a dinner problem in this house.  Not that dinner is ever really a problem, but for some reason as soon as dinner is announced someone who shall remain nameless :::cough-my husband-cough::: seems to find a reason why whatever is on the menu is not what he wants.  It’s an unmistakable look of “Yeah, we could do that, but I’d rather not.” Even if the meal is something we love and have eaten before, there’s something better that could be on the menu.

I don’t want to sound like there are always dinner disagreements, and my husband is always a grateful diner, but it’s actually easier if I just make dinner and don’t tell him what it is.  And I know this, but 90% of the time I still subject myself to dinner review before I start cooking.  Why? Because I like to frustrate myself.

Here’s how the conversation usually goes:

“Hey, I’m making ____ for dinner.”
Look from husband – “Yeah, we could do that, but…”
“No, I’ve made this before.  You like it.”
“Yeah, but…”
“I put it on a recipe card because you liked it so much!”
“I guess, but…”

And so on and on.  However, my wonderful husband usually concedes, and dinner is enjoyed by all.  This recipe is the aforementioned dish that I actually wrote down at my husband’s genuine praise. It’s a quick and simple recipe that yields tasty, tasty results. Forgive the silly name, but when I wrote it down a few years ago, this was how it tasted to my brain.

Pasta Chicken Delish

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c milk
1/4 c grated parmesan
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2-1 tsp celery salt
2 carrots, diced
6 mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 c cooked pasta – your choice, but I used fusilli
2 chicken breasts

Start by cooking your chicken in a little bit of oil.  I like to season mine with a pinch of Lawry’s, but you can just brown it up however you like.  I like to multitask and get my pasta going while the chicken is cooking.  My pasta took 11 minutes to get to al dente, and that was the perfect time to get the chicken finished. Drain your pasta and set aside while you chop up the chicken.

After you take the chicken out of the pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add your carrots.  Saute for 5-7 minutes or until they just start to get tender.  While you’re waiting for the carrots to do their thing place the soup, milk, parmesan, and seasonings into a large saucepan over medium heat. You’ll want this to start to come to a boil, but be careful to not let it burn. When your carrots are just barely tender add them to the soup mixture, and melt the other tablespoon of butter into your sauté pan.  Drop the mushrooms into the hot pan and stir until they cook down. Once they’re done add them to the soup as well.  Let the soup and vegetables go for 5-7 more minutes, and then add in the cooked pasta and chicken.

Couldn’t be simpler.  Also couldn’t be more delicious!  I like to serve it up with a little shaved parmesan on top.  Super yum :) You could also add in other vegetables if you want,, but I like to keep it simple so we can get dinner in our tummies more quickly.And an uncontested dinner at that! You’ll definitely have a winner of a dish to bring to the table.