Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
by Chungah
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Juicy, tender chicken and potatoes, sneaked-in greens and the most irresistible garlic parmesan cream sauce! Budget-friendly and impressive!
Featured Comment
I have been using this recipe for years! At least 5! I have tried this with all sorts of chicken (boneless skinless thighs are our favorite, but mostly for ease of cutting with 4 younger kids), but what I came here to say is TRY THIS WITH SWEET POTATOES! We like it with regular, but we substituted one time because it’s all we had and we never went back! Sooo yummy. We dice ours into smaller cubes and layer at the bottom of the dish, making sure chicken and sauce cover/coat the potatoes, and we don’t have a problem with undercooked. It’s delish!
Why you’ll love Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Complete meal-in-one. This hearty chicken dinner has it all! And the potatoes and spinach (or any other leafy greens) are baked right in, soaking up all the flavors of liquid gold (aka pan juices).
- Includes the most heavenly, dreamy cream sauce. This is a cream sauce made of dreams – rich, silky, garlicky and just so so good, coating the chicken and potatoes oh-so-perfectly.
- Impressive and budget-friendly. Using bone-in chicken thighs is inexpensive and so impressive for weekend company or visiting family (added bonus: dark meat is much more flavorful and juicier than white meat).
- Plenty of leftover sauce. The gift of leftover sauce can only mean one thing – you can toss with pasta, toss with rice, toss with all of the things. Or sop with all the crusty bread (my personal favorite).
how to make Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Make the cream sauce. Firstly, make the garlic parmesan cream sauce until the desired consistency is reached (heavy cream will yield a richer sauce). If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of half-and-half.
- Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken. Cook the chicken until the skin is golden brown and crispy, working in batches as needed to avoid an overcrowded pan.
- Wilt the spinach. Stir in the spinach until wilted in the pan juices.
- Bake. Add the chicken, potatoes, spinach, and cream sauce to a 9 x 13 baking dish, baking until the chicken is cooked through (165°F) and the potatoes are fork-tender (larger-sized potatoes will take longer to cook through).
- Serve. Lastly, spoon over some of the leftover sauce on the chicken and potatoes. Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread or dinner rolls for sopping.
What cuts of chicken work best in this recipe?
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: This is the gold standard in a recipe like this, yielding the most flavor as the skin will naturally self-baste the meat as the fat renders, preventing the chicken from drying out.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: This is a great option for those who prefer white meat, but will require a longer cook time.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts: This will cook much more quickly than bone-in, but without the skin (baster) and bone (retains moisture), there is a higher risk of drying out and becoming tough and rubbery when overcooked.
pro tip
Use baby potatoes.
Baby potatoes are ideal here to ensure that they cook through at the same rate as the chicken, yielding evenly cooked, crisp-tender potatoes. Baby potatoes also require minimal prep time and do not require peeling. If using larger potatoes, cut into smaller, uniform pieces to ensure even cooking until soft and tender.
what to serve with Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh herbs instead?
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
What is half and half?
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
What can I substitute for the spinach?
Kale, cabbage, swiss chard, and collard greens are all excellent subs.
How can the potatoes be done at the same time as the chicken?
If using baby potatoes, cut them in half. If using larger potatoes, cut them into small 1/2-inch pieces. For those who prefer softer potatoes, parboil the potatoes for 5-10 minutes before adding them to the baking dish.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Juicy, tender chicken and potatoes, sneaked-in greens and the most irresistible garlic parmesan cream sauce! Budget-friendly and impressive!
Video
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 16 ounces baby Dutch potatoes, halved*
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
For the garlic parmesan cream sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth, or more, as needed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ cup half and half*
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- Season chicken with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
- Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to wilt, about 2 minutes; set aside.
- Place chicken in a single layer into the prepared baking dish. Top with potatoes, spinach and garlic Parmesan cream sauce.
- Place into oven and bake until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
For the garlic parmesan cream sauce
- Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth, thyme and basil. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in half and half and Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more half and half as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Equipment
Notes
- Bone-in chicken will be juicier. While boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used with a shorter cooking time, bone-in will be juicier and have extra flavor.
- Pat the chicken dry. Use a paper towel to thoroughly dry the chicken, blotting on all sides before seasoning. Wet chicken will cause it to steam, making it impossible to form that golden brown crust.
- Brown the chicken first. This will add all the extra, deeper flavors here, sealing all the juices inside, and keeping the chicken nice and crisp while baking.
- Parboil the potatoes (optional). If you prefer ultra-soft potatoes or larger-sized potatoes, parboil for 5-10 minutes before adding to the baking dish.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in added nutrition for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Make it richer (or lighter). Heavy cream will have a higher fat content than half and half or milk, yielding a thicker consistency. Swap out the half and half for heavy cream for a richer sauce, or whole milk for a lighter sauce.
- Freshly grated Parmesan goes a long way. Pre-packaged shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can hinder their ability to melt smoothly. Freshly grated cheese is always best, melting more smoothly and evenly, and creating a far superior cream sauce.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
Did you make this recipe?
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I love this. I make it all the time. Tonight however I realized I had chicken stock not broth. Will that work too?
Sure!
This meal was BOMB! I read some of the comments about the potatoes and the overall cooking time for the chicken, so I increased the time to 40-45 minutes at 400 degrees. I did microwave the potatoes for a few minutes beforehand just to make sure it would be cooked through in the oven. I also added some chili flakes to the sauce and mixed in the cooked spinach before pouring it all over the chicken and potatoes and everything came out perfect!
HELP and unsure ☹️ My chicken was bland. I find when I season chicken with skin that often happens ♀️
My creamy gravy turned into a watery mixture when the dish was done. I don’t see how the gravy being a “watery”/thin substance won’t happen from the grease that comes from chicken with the skin. Any suggestions. I followed the recipe perfectly. Thanks girl!!
Hi Victoria! You can always drain the excess fat and season the chicken a bit more, to taste. Hope that helps!
Could you sub sour cream for the half & half?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. I used skinless, boneless chicken, omitted the spinach ( and I used Gluten free flour) but followed the recipe for the rest. Will double the sauce recipe next time as we like A LOT of sauce 🙂
I used the tiny red and white potatoes and they were cooked through in the indicated baking times. Looking forward to trying the chicken with sweet potato one next !
I have had this recipe since 5/12/16 and have made several times. I was getting ready to make this week. I noticed that garlic parmesan sauce is different now. It didn’t call for chicken broth. Which way is the best way to go?
Hi Sarah! The recipe has not been changed but thanks for checking!
This is a delicious meal. My husband told me to be sure to save this. Better than a restaurant meal that costs a lot more.
Great flavors but cooking times were way off and final product was much soupier than expected. The spinach had all the water cooked out of it i guess by the time the chicken was cooked through. Shredding chicken thighs to turn leftovers into a sort of stew for tomorrow night
Hello!
I baked my potato’s with the garlic Parmesan
sauce Separately
after they were finished I took
Them out the oven
Then baked my boneless chicken leg meat with
the spinach LOVED it! so did my two toddlers!
I love this dish. I make it frequently. Fabulous taste.
Made this for my picky grandkids. And I got rave reviews from them. I sprinkled more Parmesan on top and baked a little longer so it was slightly crispy and golden brown.
It was great, I added mushrooms and wine with a little tomato paste delish, Thank you for the recipe,
Thank you for explaining the half and half. Outside of the states it isn’t an assumed thing. I remember years ago trying to figure out what half and half actually was! It’s up there with a stick of butter. Lol. Took me forever to figure that one out too. 113gm butter. Got it.
Making this tonight. Looks amazing but very easy while being impressive.
Damned delicious as always! Thanks so much for sharing your creation!
Thank you, Lacey!
Made this tonight: SO GOOD!! I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and Yukon gold potatoes because that’s what I had. I diced the potatoes and parboiled for 10 minutes, and cut the chicken into one-inch pieces since i wanted to eat ASAP, haha. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. 20 minutes in the oven and done! 🙂 Definitely a keeper!
Delicious!!! Hubby loved it. Got seconds and told me “Babe, this is really good. You can make this anytime.” He is a super picky eater and I’m surprised he even liked the spinach (unusual).
The only suggestion I have is parboil potatoes or else you will need to bake another 20-25 on 375.
Made this last night. Started the dish, not realizing we were out of potatoes, so I served it with steamed rice instead. That worked out well. Husband and 14 yr old were very pleased. Two
Absolutely delicious! My thighs must have been bigger because I had to bake for about 50 minutes to cook through. Will definitely make again!
Turned out delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!
Our pleasure 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it.
I sort of made this. I didn’t want to pan fry the chicken as it was a busy weeknight so I popped the chicken in the oven with the herbs, made the sauce and poured it over the chicken for the last 10 minutes(total baking was around 45min.) Made spinach and poured some sauce over that too and made baked potatoes. It was delicious!!!
Thanks for your feedback, Carin!
Can you use broccoli instead of spinach?
Yes, of course!
I just made this tonight. It was delicious! I microwaved the cut up potatoes for 4 minutes before adding them and everything came out great. The sauce was very tasty and the chicken was so tender. I baked it at 375 for about 50 minutes.