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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This was delicious, the sauce was yummy. I didn’t want to eat potatoes so I threw sliced portabellas in with the chicken while it was browning and served over rice pilaf. Cooked the whole in my cast iron so I only had one pan. Love all your cast iron chicken recipes.
Winner, winner, you know the rest. This was delish and with the spinach, its a one pan, complete meal. I cut back the butter a bit but don’t get me wrong, this dish is really rich. The only deviation from the recipe other than the butter was I parboiled the potatoes, cut them in half again in the pan after about 25 minutes then covered with foil and continued to bake for about 15-20 minutes. The chicken was done before the potatoes but the extra cook time covered didn’t effect the doneness of the chicken much. This has been rePinned to my Tried and True Board. Thank you.
Made this last night! Very delish! I had to cook it for an hour thought. Potatoes were not cooked after 30 minutes.
This was so good. I didn’t have spinach so I subbed broccoli . My family said two thumbs up! It was also simple. I love things that are ready in one pan although I will add salad next time as our chicken was kind of small. Hubby likes salad as a side. Great recipe!
This was awesome and not at all too much for 2-person household. When it comes to the potatoes, I threw them in the stove while I was preparing the rest and cooking the chicken and by the time they came out at the end, they weren’t as hard as previous comments described. Will certainly be trying again and enjoying for lunch tomorrow!
This sauce alone could be used over rice or noodles, maybe adding mushroom, The sauce is out of this world. This is the first time I have ever to any receipt on line I am really in pressed. Thank you for the great recipes. SAM
Made this last night and it was very good!
Made this tonight and husband & 8 year-old loved it. I followed recipe but added 3 chunked carrots – yum! Thanks for the great recipe.
Could you substitute fat free 1/2 & 1/2?
Yes, absolutely.
Just put this in the oven! I am so excited!!!! The garlic sauce is to die for!!! I love your website and I have been telling everyone about it.
Can you use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes, absolutely, but cooking time may have to be adjusted accordingly.
How would I change the recipe for boneless skinless chicken breast
Cooking time may have to be adjusted accordingly.
I also can’t wait for dinner tonight to eat the leftovers!
I made this last night with my Cusinart mulitcooker (basically a slow cooker with roasting & saute function). I followed the directions above, using the pot of the mulitcooker as my saute pan. At step 7, instead of putting everything into a roasting pan, I simply placed everything back into the multicooker pot, with the cream sauce. I used kale instead of spinach & threw in a handful of baby carrots – because that’s the way my family rolls. I lowered the baking temperature to 35oF to compensate for the fact that everything was on direct heat. I cooked the dish for 30 minutes & it came out fantastic! I can’t wait for dinner tonight to eat the leftovers! 🙂
Do you cover with foil or uncover when putting in the oven?
Nope – no cover needed. 🙂 Recipes typically specify when a cover is required.
Thank you. =)
I would love to try this but I am unable to eat cheese of any kind. Do you have any recommendations for what could be used instead?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
You can buy no dairy “cheese” at Trader Joe’s if you have one near you. =)
This was simply amazing.
I’m making this for a family that’s more then 6 so do I double everything? Or just certain things?
Yes, everything should be doubled.
This recipe is definitely a keeper!!! Thank you!!!
I love your recipes and this one certainly didn’t disappoint! The chicken turned out amazing and the sauce was delicious. Easy and simple to make, will be making this one again!
For the people, who said their potatoes weren’t done, I cut mine into fourths and baked the dish for 35-40 minutes. I think it really depends on your oven.