Saturday Share:Standby Mushroom Sauce

I'm a little late posting today. It's been a busy day since I'm still playing catchup.

I have a recipe to share today that you'll really like because it goes with chicken, pork, fish, seafood, and pasta.

That's right. You can use it as a sauce with your entree or serve it over pasta as a meatless entree.

Just as country singer Tammy Wynette once sang about standing by her man, this sauce stands by plain ingredients to make an entree special.

Standby Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 can drained and chopped mushrooms or 1/2 - 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream or half and half
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (either the more expensive grated or the "powdery stuff" from Kraft

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
2. Add the drained, chopped mushrooms and saute for a few minutes. If using fresh mushrooms, cook about 5-7 minutes until they're completely soft.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir for a couple of minutes over medium heat.
4. Stir in the broth. Whisk well. Then stir in the cream. Whisk well.
5. Lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
6. Stir in the cheese. Mix well. Simmer for another 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
7. Pour into a gravy boat or bowl and serve with your entree or pour over pasta, mix well, and serve for a meatless dish.
8. If you have some of the more expensive grated Parmesan, sprinkle a little of that on top so it looks more elegant.
9. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.

Takeaway Truth

Try this sauce with your Sunday chicken. It makes even rubber chicken taste better. Have a lovely Sunday.