you're making mealtime meaningful.
Everything about this dish is covered in flavor. And the one trick to making that happen is to use an herbed cheese, slow melted into a simmering sauce that covers the chicken in creamy goodness. We know how important it is to find meal ideas that are quick and delicious; the types of meals that keep us from just grabbing a bucket of chicken on our way home from work. This is just one of those meals; and is frequently requested in our house. When something so simple comes out this good, everyone will be begging for more!
We’ve been inspired by the idea of one skillet meals lately; they’re the type of meal that takes some of the pressure off of weeknight cooking. This is a meal we can even get the kids to help with; any time we can encourage the littles to get involved in the kitchen is a great way to introduce good habits for when they’re one day off cooking on their own. One of our little cooking tricks is the slurry. A slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and water added as a thickening agent. Here it adds just a little extra substance to the sauce. Slurries are a quick and easy way to supplement a sauce and we find it extra handy here.
Sometimes all you need are the right shortcuts to make something out of this world, and that’s where the herbed cheese spread comes in. Thinned out with broth, and reduced to a creamy thickness, our chicken comes out covered in a sauce that will make everyone’s tastebuds dance. We know just how important it is to get a meal on the table quickly and easily, and we love this recipe for exactly that; it’s a creamy sauce paired with tender, juicy chicken and packed full of savory herbs. Good cooking doesn’t require fancy ingredients, just a few of the right ingredients to whip up a meal that is sure to satisfy, just like this seriously delicious creamy herbed chicken.
Creamy Herbed Chicken
Yield(s): Serves 3-4
30 minutes
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- Chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Sauce:
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 (4.4 oz.) package spreadable herb cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Season both sides of chicken breasts with garlic and onion powders, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until browned on both sides and just cooked through, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add another 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet and sauté garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in basil, rosemary, and thyme, and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in half-and-half, chicken broth and herb cheese, whisking until combined, then bring mixture to a boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water, then stir slurry into skillet sauce.
- Stir everything together and reduce heat, cooking for another 5-8 minutes, or until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Return chicken to pan and serve immediately. Enjoy!