Creamy Champagne Chicken with Mushrooms

This is an elegant dinner recipe, perfect for everyday entertaining or a regular old family dinner! Honestly, it’s just an excuse to open a bottle of champagne…a little for the recipe, a little for the cook.But really, please don’t use expensive champagne! We could dive deep into semantics and the history of champagne…but that’s for another time. Just remember champagne is the expensive French stuff that you should be drinking and anything labeled as sparkling wine, Prosecco, Cava or méthode champenoise (in the style of Champagne) is perfectly fine for this recipe-or any recipe calling for champagne! I generally use Prosecco, as it’s delicious, affordable and suitable to pour into my glass when I’m done using it in the recipe.

I really love this recipe because as soon as it tasted it, I was immediately transported back to my childhood home with a dinner my mom used to occasionally make when my dad had pheasants from hunting. It was a dish of sautéed mushrooms, onions and pheasant with a little sour cream and wine added. It was usually accompanied by a side dish of wild rice, but that wasn’t my thing. I’d just load up on the good stuff…and I’ll never forget the taste. I’d just prefer a side of nostalgia with a recipe, right?Anyway, this version calls for chicken instead of pheasant, but has all the familiar flavors of mushrooms, shallots, sparkling wine and cream. Cream, wine and mushrooms are a match made in Heaven already, but made more substantial with chicken?! It’s seriously just so tasty it makes me want to cry. Or wait…is that just the memories?