Cream Cheese Chicken (Printable version)
Juicy chicken breasts smothered in a creamy Parmesan herb sauce, baked to golden perfection.
# What you need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each)
→ Dairy
02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1/4 cup milk
04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Spices & Seasonings
08 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (or a mix of oregano, basil, and thyme)
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Optional Garnish
11 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# How To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Season chicken breasts evenly with salt, pepper, and half of the Italian herbs.
03 - In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add chicken and sear each side for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, sauté the chopped onion for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and milk, stirring until smooth and well combined. Stir in Parmesan cheese and the remaining Italian herbs.
06 - Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, turning to coat evenly with the cream sauce. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
07 - Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce basically makes itself right in the pan, so you get a luxurious meal with almost no extra dishes to wash.
- It turns basic boneless chicken into something that tastes like you spent hours, but the whole thing comes together in under an hour.
02 -
- Do not rush the cream cheese melting step because a few extra minutes of stirring on low heat saves you from a grainy, broken sauce.
- An ovenproof skillet is essential for this recipe since you move straight from stovetop to oven, and grabbing a plastic handled pan by mistake is a mistake you only make once.
03 -
- If your cream cheese is cold and you forgot to soften it, cut it into small cubes and they will melt into the sauce much faster than a whole block.
- Letting the chicken rest for two minutes after it comes out of the oven before serving keeps the juices inside where they belong instead of running all over your plate.