Three more things to do with Brown Mushroom Sauce

So what else can you do with the Browned Mushroom Sauce? Here’s three recipes that call for a portion of the sauce (one portion being 2 2/3 cups of sauce).

Turkey-Mushroom Baked Potatoes

Serves 4

4 medium baking potatoes
Cooking oil (optional)
1 2 2/3 cup portion Browned Mushroom Sauce, thawed
2 ounces process Gruyere or process Swiss cheese, cut up
2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken (10 ounces)
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into strips (optional)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Scrub potatoes and pat dry. Prick with a fork. If desired, rub with a small amount of cooking oil. Bake in 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tender. (alternatively, cook the potatoes in a microwave on 100% [ high ] power for 13 to 16 minutes, rearranging once.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat thawed Brown Mushroom Sauce to boiling. Add cheese: Stir until cheese is melted. Add turkey or chicken and heat through. Cut potatoes open and serve turkey mixture over potatoes. Top with sweet peppers and parsley if desired.

Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine

Serves 4

8 ounces fettuccine or linguine
2 cups small broccoli flowerettes
1 2 2/3 cup portion Browned Mushroom Sauce, thawed
2 tablespoons dry cherry or beef broth
6 to 8 ounces cooked chicken or smoked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the broccoli flowerettes during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain, cover, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan, heat thawed Brown Mushroom Sauce just to boiling. Add sherry or broth, then whisk until sauce is smooth. Stir in chicken and heat through. Serve over pasta and broccoli. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Cheesy Vegetarian Lasagna

Serves 6

9 no-boil lasagna noodles, or regular lasagna noodles
1 2 2/3 cup portion Browned Mushroom Sauce, thawed
1 15 to 16 ounce can butter beans or great northern beans, drained
½ cup chopped red or green sweet pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
¼ teaspoon pepper

If using regular lasagna noodles, cook according to package directions.

In a 3 quart saucepan heat the thawed Brown Mushroom Sauce to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in beans and sweet pepper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine egg, 1 cup cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ricotta cheese. Stir in basil and pepper and set aside.

Lightly grease a 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Place 3 cooked lasagna noodles on the bottom (or 3 no-boil noodles). Top with one third of the mushroom sauce and half of the cheese mixture. Top with 3 more noodles, another third of the mushroom sauce, and the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the last 3 noodles and remaining mushroom sauce.

Bake, covered with foil, in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cup of Cheddar cheese; return to oven. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into squares to serve.

Source: What’s for Dinner? From Better Homes and Gardens Books, Inc. © 1995

Notes from the Hare

And there you have it – three more things to do with the Browned Mushroom Sauce.

It might just be me, but if I was serving the Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna to some of my vegetarian friends, I’d probably make the Browned Mushroom Sauce with vegetable broth instead of beef broth. I’m not sure about the milk / cream / half and half, though – although, unless I was dealing with a total vegan I probably wouldn’t have to worry about it.

As an accompaniment to the Lasagna (or any lasagna or Italian dish, I would imagine), cut on 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread in half horizontally. IN a small bowl, stir together the following:

2/3 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 tablespoon pesto – purchased is fine

Spread this over the cut sides of the bread. Place the bread, pesto side up, on unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 or 5 inches from the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with lightly crushed red pepper. Cut diagonally into 2 inch slices. Makes about 14 slices.