Originally published on March 24, 2017
The girls and I spent a little over a week with my family this past March Break and I did the cooking! Cooking at my childhood home is really no different than cooking at my current home – I still play around with different recipes and try new things. I knew this one-pot chicken and potatoes dish was going to be a hit around the table, full of Parmesan, garlic and a cream sauce that made us want to lick our plates (or maybe that was just me). I wish I was still there to partake of the leftovers!
Ingredients:
4 bone-in chicken breasts, cut into pieces if they’re very large
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 pound potatoes, quartered
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.
2.) Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear until golden brown. Turn chicken and brown the other side for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3.) Place the spinach into the pan, stir to coat in the fat, and cook for just about 2 minutes, until the spinach is slightly wilted. Remove from pan, toss with the potatoes and set aside.
4.) To make the sauce, melt 1/4 cup of butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 or 2 minutes. Whisk in flour until it’s fully incorporated into the fat and cook for 1 minute.
5.) Gradually whisk in chicken broth, fresh thyme and basil. Cook, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and half and half. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir until cheese and cream are fully incorporated.
6.) Place the potatoes and spinach in the bottom of the casserole dish and pour the garlic Parmesan over top. Place the chicken breasts over top of the potatoes.
7.) Place into the oven and cook for 40 – 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are soft.
8.) Serve and enjoy!