Chicken & Creamy Mushroom Bacon Sauce

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce.Peel and dice potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes.Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain. Return potatoes to pot and keep covered off heat until ready to mash in Step 4.

While potatoes cook, halve, peel, and dice shallot into ¼-inch pieces. Dice celery into ¼-inch pieces. Trim and quarter mushrooms (skip if your mushrooms are pre-sliced!). Zest and quarter lemon.

Arrange bacon* in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast on middle rack until crispy, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop.Pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a cutting board.

To pot with potatoes, add sour cream and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings). Using a potato masher or fork, mash until smooth and creamy, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) and a drizzle of oil in pan used for chicken over medium heat. Add shallot, celery, and mushrooms; season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies have softened, 3-4 minutes.Stir in thyme, cream sauce base, stock concentrate, garlic powder, ¼ cup water (½ cup for 4), and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in chopped bacon and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Slice chicken crosswise.Divide mashed potatoes between shallow bowls. Top with chicken and spoon creamy mushroom-bacon sauce over top. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.