Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine is absolutely just that! Creamy and delicious and so versatile. You’ll find yourself just wanting this sauce as is, maybe over a little pasta. But don’t stop there!
Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine
This is a marvelous recipe on its own, but think about this napped over sauteed chicken breasts or pork chops, served either with noodles of some sort or maybe my fave, mashed potatoes. Anything carby (a rice pilaf or wild rice would be fab, too) will set off this luscious sauce to a “T”. And if you happen to have the odd chicken breast or pork chop leftover, this sauce will work some magic and literally transform it. Just thinly slice and gently heat it through in the sauce.
About Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine:
I love to make this sauce with the plain old button mushroom because a) I’m cheap and b) I think buttons are a great value. All the nutrition of their fancier counterparts, all their fabulous anti-inflammatory (and other) benefits, and at a budget price. See what the World’s Healthiest Foods has to say about them.
But there’s no need to limit yourself to a budget option. If you’re right in Morel hunting season, you couldn’t find a better way to highlight them! The idea makes me want to grab a bucket and meander through the woods! And of course, this sauce will only be more fabulous if you choose your favorite mushroom or combo. Go as gourmet as you’d like!
While you’ll want this sauce made with white wine, you can meld those flavors into French leaning or Italian with the herbs you use. If you love tarragon as much as I do, you cannot go wrong with tossing some in. If you lean toward the Italian side of things, basil or oregano, or maybe a little marjoram are equally as good. You can add a little, taste, and adjust as you go.
Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine
What to serve with Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine:
I guess I pretty much covered this. Serve it on its own with pasta, serve over chicken or pork chops or with a little sliced leftover chicken or pork and do a noodle, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf or wild rice with it as a side. That’s a pretty chi chi plate, if you ask me, either way you go.
But of course, anytime you’ve got something rich and creamy like this, it helps to break things up…nothing looks so dull as a plate of whitish food, amirite? Make sure to think about something green, maybe a lovely simple salad, or a sauteed green, maybe spinach or another, Swiss chard would be amazing! Or a simple broccoli side would never be wrong, either.
Making Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine:
So there are two ways to make this sauce. Just make it on its own if you want, you can’t go wrong with that. Or if you’re plannng on serving it over pork chops or chicken, saute either and then build this sauce on the drippings. It’s just as good (maybe even a little better.)
So if you’re cooking a protein like chicken breasts or pork chops, remove them from the pan and add a little olive oil to the drippings and proceed with the recipe. If you’re just planning on making this sauce as is or using it to reheat leftovers, just start out with the olive oil. I like to add a lid to the mushrooms as I cook them. They’ll release their juices and then brown up beautifully. Add just a touch of water if you need to and do watch and make sure they’re not in any danger of burning under that lid. And those beautiful golden brown mushrooms are the basis of so much flavor!
Other than that, this recipe is so easy, peasy. It’s not only versatile, but it’s also quick and I love it when something that feels so gourmet is on the table in literally minutes! It makes me feel like I’m cheating!
Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine
Saving Money on Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine:
Mushrooms are often on sale at my grocery for about 1/2 price, especially around holidays but are usually at Aldi all the time for around the same as the grocery store sales price. When you get your mushrooms home, poke several holes in the bottom of the package to help reduce condensation, and store upside down. That usually buys you a day or two of extra time to use them.
As far as wine, it pays to sign up for emails, watch the flyers and know when the best sales are, usually a minor one in the fall and the major one in the Spring, often late February to early March. Check the bargain bins, too. And don’t be afraid to use leftover wine in recipes. It’s always a good thing to not waste! Most importantly, talk to the wine guy in the store; his/her job is to keep you coming back not to sell you the priciest thing. A good one will ask you your price range and what you’re making and direct you to options from the classic pairings to more unusual ones you may not have thought of or known about.
You will want full-on cream, either whipping or heavy cream for this recipe. The fat will curb the acidity in the wine and prevent any possible curdling during the reduction process. This is no doubt a rich recipe and a bit of an indulgence, and if budget is an issue, keep in mind that serving it with pasta as a vegetarian meal will help keep a budget. Watch for cream on sale during any holiday weeks (see my list of what to watch for on sale during holidays on my post Win at the Grocers) or at Aldi where the everyday prices are sometimes better than the holiday grocery store prices.
Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine
Versatile Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Wine
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Meatless Meal
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (any variety)
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup white wine
- 2 cups heavy or whipping cream
- herbs of choice: basil, oregano, marjoram, tarragon, or a combination, start with a teaspoon dried or a tablespoon fresh and go by taste
- salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
In a large skillet with a lid, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and stir to coat, nudge them into a single layer. Add about 1/4 cup of water, add the lid and let the mushrooms cook for three or four minutes until golden brown and the water is nearly evaporated. Unlid and stir and continue to cook until the mushrooms pick up color on both sides.
Push the mushrooms aside, add garlic and just heat through. Add wine and stir to get all the browned bits off the bottom. Bring to a good simmer and cook until nearly evaporated.
Add cream, return to a simmer until cream has reduced by about a third, stirring now and then. Add in herb(s) to taste. The cream will look quite liquidy but will thicken as soon as it’s off heat. It should readily coat the back of a spoon and leave a distinct line behind if you run a finger across.
Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes:
If you’d like to use this sauce with leftover chicken or pork, finish the sauce and then just gently rewarm either, thinly sliced, in the sauce.
If you’d like to saute chicken breasts or pork chops and then build the sauce and serve with either, Heat 1 tablespoon butter & 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan. When hot, salt and pepper the protein, cook over medium-high heat until just done and nicely browned. Remove from the skillet and tent with foil.
To the skillet, add the tablespoon of butter, if needed, then proceed with the recipe. Serve the sauce over the chicken or pork.
Keywords: Alcohol, Bargain Meal of the Week, Chicken, Chicken Breast, Cream, French, Italian, leftover pork, mushrooms, Pork, Pork Loin, Wine
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I’m linking my recipe up at Fiesta Friday, hosted this week by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Elaine @ Foodbod.
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