This was very easy to put together with all the ingredients in my pantry. It was very good, cheesy and creamy. You really can't taste the cream of mushroom, leave it in to keep it from drying out. A keeper for make ahead weeknight meals.

Reviewed On: Dec. 28, 2007

The recipe is excellent but can be streamlined considerably: (1) Heat water for pasta. (2) Prep your raw and canned ingredients. Substitute 6 oz. canned sliced mushrooms – drained and rinsed. Drain and rinse canned artichoke hearts and cut into pieces (or use hearts of palm, which have a milder, more lemony flavor.) Slice the bacon strips into 1-inch pieces. Keep everything in separate prep bowls and set aside. (3) Cook sauce exactly as directed to keep it creamy. Once the last pat of butter is mixed in, immediately remove the pan from heat and keep warm (or place on a very low heat and stir occasionally.) Do not keep or reheat on medium or high heat as the cream sauce will separate and become greasy. (4) Slice the raw chicken breasts with the grain into ½ inch strips. Cook in one layer in a non-stick pan on medium heat with 1 Tbs. olive oil, until the edges are cooked; then flip the strips and cook for about 2 more minutes, until no longer pink and cooked through. Immediately remove from heat, place in a bowl and cover with foil to keep the strips warm and tender – do not leave them on the burner as overcooking will make the chicken tough and rubbery. (5) While the pasta cooks, cook bacon a bit over medium heat; add mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes; add the artichokes or hearts of palm last, heating through about 2 minutes, to preserve their soft texture and keep them from becoming mushy. (6) Return chicken strips to the skillet and continue as directed.

Reviewed On: Jun. 17, 2007

I used ground beef and cheddar cheese. The taste is good but it's on the dry side. Having the sour cream as a garnish is an afterthought, as it's cold and doesn't blend in with flavors. It could be improved by taking out the black beans, and layering the beef and salsa on top of creamy refried beans and sour cream, and adding another layer of cheese in the middle.

Reviewed On: May 1, 2007