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1
Place chicken in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water (about 3/4 pot full).
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2
Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat and let chicken simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is done.
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3
Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate to cool (approx. 20-30 minutes).
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4
When cooled, skin and debone, placing chicken meat in a bowl for later.
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5
Remove 1 cup broth from pot and set aside for later.
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6
Do not discard the rest of the broth; will use later to boil the noodles for extra flavor.
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7
While chicken is boiling, melt butter in saute pan and add minced garlic.
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8
Let it saute for just a minute or so, then add mushrooms.
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9
If you like you can add a splash of white wine here for a special taste.
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10
Cook mushrooms until tender and set aside for later.
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11
The above steps can be done ahead of time and kept in refrigerator for assembly the day of the meal.
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12
Next, in a separate bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, and 1 cup of broth -- Stir together until blended.
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13
Bring remaining broth to a boil once again and place the pasta in the boiling water (Add a bit of water if you need to).
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14
When the noodles are cooked, drain, and put back in the pot.
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15
Now, add in the rest of the ingredients, except for garnish: chicken meat, mushrooms, soup mixture, cheese, and seasonings (to your liking).
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16
Mix well and pour into a greased deep/large casserole dish.
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17
The size of the dish depends on how much chicken you use and thicker noodles vs. thinner noodles, but generally a 9x13 dish is sufficient.
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18
You can also put some of the mix, if there is too much, in a freezer-safe container to save for a quick dinner later on.
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19
Sprinkle with your garnish, and bake covered in a 350u00b0F oven for about 30 minutes.
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20
Serve with sour cream on the side for a very creamy version of this entree.
