Creamy Mushroom Chicken Over Linguine

Wash dirt/debris from mushrooms. (Yes I wash my mushrooms.) Trim off the stems. Thick slice the mushrooms. I sliced them a scant 1/4-inch thick. Place mushrooms on the bottom of the crockpot.

Rinse chicken pieces, remove visible fat. Salt and pepper each chicken piece lightly, then place on top of mushrooms.

Cut onion into quarters. Then cut across each quarter making generous 1/4-inch thick slices.

Melt butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute them for about 3-5 minutes, stirring as needed.

Add the garlic to the onions and continue to cook until onions just begin to turn golden on the edges. Stir frequently and lower heat, if necessary, to avoid burning the onions or the garlic.

Stir in cream cheese cubes and continue to cook and stir until cream cheese has melted.

Stir in the chicken stock, basil and the 2 packets of dry Italian salad dressing mix. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour over the chicken and mushrooms.

Cook on low for 6 hours or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 F.

Remove chicken and place it on a plate. Cover with foil and set aside. Turn crockpot to high.

Place the 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small bowl. Add a small amount of water and whisk until smooth. Pour cornstarch mixture into the crockpot with the mushroom sauce and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to thicken while preparing the pasta. Depending on how much liquid has been rendered from the chicken and the mushrooms, it may be necessary to add more cornstarch/water mixture for thickening.

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain.

Return chicken to crock-pot and gently spoon sauce over chicken. Serve chicken and the mushroom sauce over pasta.