This base dish will serve double duty for two delicious recipes:

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce over Chive Egg Noodles and French Chicken Stew.

Try one dish tonight and then store the remaining 4 cooled chicken breasts in the cooled chicken poaching liquid in the refrigerator. Tomorrow's dinner can be whipped up in no time. If you have any of the poaching liquid leftover from making these two dishes pop it in the freezer and use it the next time something calls for chicken stock, it will be extra chicken-fortified!

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 8 6-to-8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 carrots
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 fresh or dry bay leaf
• 2 small onions

  (For Double Duty Recipe #1)

  1 pound egg noodles

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch chives
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 large shallots
• 1 pound button mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken poaching liquid
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, about 5 strokes over your grater

  (For Double Duty Recipe #2)

  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 loaf French bread
• 4 poached chicken breasts
• Veggies from poaching liquid
• 1 28-ouce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 sprigs tarragon
• Salt and pepper