The idea for this meal came to me in a sort of backwards way. Yesterday, my father in law and I were part of a crew serving Mother’s Day dinner to some very deserving women at church. At the end, there were a lot of leftover bread slices that went uneaten. My father in law saw them and said, “These would be perfect for garlic bread.” He was 100% correct! And with that idea in hand, I had to figure out what to make to complement it. So, here we are. Chicken and vegetables in a roasted garlic and Parmesan cream sauce.
This meal would go well with almost any pasta shape you have on hand…but we are using spiralized zucchini noodles (and the aforementioned garlic bread, of course). It would also go very well as the filling in a white lasagna if you’re feeling adventurous.
Time: 45-50 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 Head of Garlic
- Chicken Breast
- Heavy Cream or Half and Half (You can use lower fat options, but they have a tendency to separate when heated)
- Veggies. I’m using spinach, onion, tomato, mushroom, and shredded carrot. Peas, green beans, red peppers, or artichokes would be good too.
- Parmesan cheese
- A little butter and flour (equal parts)
- Seasonings. Basil, oregano, and/or black pepper would be good to enhance the flavours, but with the garlic, they’re also not terribly necessary.
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
- Cut the top off your garlic head (opposite the bulb end), wrap it in foil, and toss it in the oven for a half hour or so. When it’s done, you’ll be treated to a nice roasted garlic aroma, and the cloves will be soft.
- While the garlic is roasting, cut your veggies and chicken.
- As the garlic is finishing up in the oven, heat some oil in a heavy bottomed pan (I’m using stainless steel for this meal), and when it shines and thins with the heat, add your onions and chicken.
- Remove the garlic from the oven, and open the foil to let steam escape.
- Stir occasionally, and when the chicken is about half-way cooked, add your other vegetables.
- As the chicken and veggies cook, mix your flour and butter with a fork until they are combined.
- When the chicken is fully cooked, toss in your flour/butter mix.
- Squeeze your garlic cloves out of the bulb into the pan as the butter melts.
- Add your cream component (and Parmesan cheese if adding to the sauce), and let your sauce thicken to your desired consistency.
- Plate (adding your Parmesan here if not adding to the sauce…or do both!), devour, and enjoy!
