Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
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Crisp-tender chicken baked to absolute perfection with potatoes and spinach. A complete meal in one!
Au revoir, Paris! It’s been an amazing week, but it’s time to get home so that I can burn off all these macarons, baguettes, hot chocolate, and falafels. Not to mention that massive Nutella-banana street crepe I had in the middle of the night.
But before I head to the airport for a 12-hour flight back home, I really need to share this with you: my newest chicken recipe yet with a garlic Parmesan cream sauce that will blow. your. mind.
You also have your potatoes and spinach baked right in for a complete meal in one. See, aren’t you happy that I’m coming back? This just means I’m making more chicken recipes the minute I hit LA.
Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
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.
Kale, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all great subs.
Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 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 roast 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.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Love this, don’t love spinach… If I omit it do you think any other components of the recipe will have to change too or should it be ok?!
Yes, you can omit the spinach and leave the recipe as is. You can also substitute kale if you’d like. Might as well sneak in as many veggies as possible! 🙂
I’m always frustrated by comments because everyone is excited to try the recipe but never come back and say how it turns out. I have to say, first, that you are my GO TO place for recipes and everyone at work thinks i’m this amazing cook based on all of my leftover-lunches. THANK YOU for all you do – my tummy greatly appreciates it!
that being said… this particular meal was a total flop. the sure kept seizing into a gravey-like substance, and even though i used FIVE cloves of garlic, and “heaping” measurements of spices… it had next to no flavor. If I were to try it again, I might use more 1/2 and 1/2 and butter, less milk, and skip the flour (healthy, I know).
That being said…. (again) i’m making another of your recipes tonight CAN. NOT. WAIT.
I did not cook this recipe, but my friend did. She shared the recipe and the leftovers at work. It was delicious. I am making it tomorrow.
I made this a few days ago and I also thought the sauce had no flavor. And my potatoes were still too hard even though I cut them up into tiny pieces. My husband said he liked it, but I don’t think I’ll make this one again. There are plenty of other recipes on this blog that I love so I’ll stick to those instead (like the Lemon Butter Chicken, which is a definite keeper!).
Use double the fresh thyme, basil and parsley. Add a little salt,
Pepper and sugar to the sauce. It makes a HUGE difference, the sugar. Brown the thighs well and make sure they are seasoned beforehand with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. This is out of this world! You have to tweak the sauce and quarter the baby potatoes.
I added 1/2 c dry white wine to the sauce, did a lot for the flavor!
I made this tonight and, granted, did make a few adjustments prior:
– boneless chicken breasts instead of bone-in, cut into strips
– seasoning the chicken with Montreal chicken seasoning
– fresh herbs in lieu of dried, including adding rosemary
– parboiled potatoes to avoid hard potatoes
– sautéed broccoli in addition to spinach
– Additional half and half, chicken broth, garlic (I really, REALLY love garlic) and butter to taste and desired consistency
The outcome was… pretty spectacular! Definitely a recipe worth playing around with a bit to put into the regular dinner rotation.
HI. How long was the cooking time with the breasts
Well I made it tonight, and it sucked. I’m upset at the poorly written recipe. I don’t appreciate Chunga’s haughty attitude on the FAQs saying it is my fault if it fails. I have been cooking for 2o years, and I even write and blog my own recipes.
I should have known that 25 minutes is in no way long enough to cook a pound of raw potatoes and almost raw bone-in chicken thighs. I had to double the cooking time, and I know it is not my oven.
Also, I could tell the sauce was going to be bland, so I added lemon zest, juice, and chicken broth. I salvaged what seems more of just a vague inspiration from the recipe at that point.
Yes, sometimes the home cook is at fault. But this is not the case here. It’s obvious that the recipe wasn’t tested properly, and a less-seasoned cook may have ended up with $15 of ruined, raw, bland food.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. However, I understand that we all have different taste preferences, and I really appreciate your honest feedback.
Also
I think modifying the recipe to at least suggest that the potatoes may take extra cooking time would prudent. You do have a lot of good feedback, but there were also a LOT of commenters who wound up with raw potatoes. I noticed you didn’t respond to them. If you modified the recipe to at least mention this, everyone wins.
Thank you for your feedback, Sara! The notes (below the recipe) actually include this:
*Potatoes can be cut into thirds or fourths to ensure quicker cooking time.
I 100% agree with this. The potatoes came out raw and there is no way you can cook potatoes in the oven for 25 minutes and expect them to come out cooked through. I should have trusted my instincts and precooked the potatoes before adding them to the oven.
To make matters worse, the chicken and the sauce came out really bland. I would not recommend this recipe at all.
I’m sorry that you’ve had such difficulty with this recipe. However, potatoes can actually be cooked in 25 minutes if they are the appropriate size. But as always, please do what is best for you and your taste preferences.
Take a deep breath and choose kindness…its JUST a recipe.
I disagree with you. I used all fresh herbs, generously, so the sauce was not bland. I just intuitively knew that I had to cook the chicken and potatoes l9nger than 30 minutes, so after the 400* for 30 minutes, I turned the oven down to 375* for 20 more minutes. Chicken was moist and spinach and potatoes were great with the parmesan sauce.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time, say a day or two?
Unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
do you drain the chicken fat from the skillet before moving on to step #4?
Yes, if there is excess fat, please feel free to drain as needed.
Do you think sweet potato would be an acceptable substitute?
Yes, absolutely.
Great, thank you!
Oh why ruin it!
I let out an audible “oooh” at this recipe. Ultimate comfort food with a little twist, love it!
Looks amazing! One of my eaters won’t touch any chicken that’s not boneless though… how would that affect the cooking time?
Cooking time will have to be adjusted accordingly if boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) are substituted. But without further recipe testing, I cannot advise the exact cooking time – as always, please use your best judgment.
Made this for dinner tonight. It’s a keeper. Absolutely delicious will definitely make again !!
looks so delicious!
This sounds wonderful. Can it be made a day or two ahead of time or maybe frozen, then reheated when ready to serve?
Thanks,
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Have you tried make ahead? We were discussing this – maybe prepare all herbs, spinach, potatoes, sauce, ahead of time. Then brown chicken an hour before and assemble? I hate having a messy kitchen before guests arrive. It doesn’t look as nice when reheated
I made everything in the am, assembled the chicken, spinach and taters in a casserole dish then put it in the fridge after it cooled. Same with the sauce, I let it cool and put it in the fridge. Come dinnertime, I reheated the sauce, poured it on top of the chicken, then threw it in a cold oven and turned it on. It took a little longer to cook, but my kitchen was clean come dinnertime!
Do we cook this in the oven uncovered?
I cannot believe you are talking about having to burn off calories and you lay this recipe on us, with not one but three irresistible ingredients: garlic, parmesan and cream.
Can’t wait to hear about Paris. You must come to the hometown of Prosper Montagné someday….
Sounds rich but cream and cheese is all protein!
Can you use chicken breasts instead?
Yes, absolutely.
I did this tonight with Chicken breast and it was a big hit! Next time I think I will double the spinach and add mushrooms!
I love your recipes. I made this last night. My results are not as pretty however. Is there a secret to browning the chicken skin and the seasonings staying on? I loaded the spinach and potatoes on top, covered with sauce it looked like a hot mess!
I recommend using a very well pre-heated pan to give it a good sear and that beautiful brown color.
Would you use boneless or with the bone in?
Either-or will work! 🙂
Made this last night and it was delicious. Next time would use boneless chicken breasts. I did par boil the potatoes. My family loved the potatoes and spinach so next time I will increase the amount of both of those too. Thanks for a great recipe.
I am confused by your recipe. The picture shows the browned chicken on top of the casserole. Your written directions say put the chicken on the bottom and cover with potatoes. Which way is correct? I know it can be done either way, but, what do you do?
Yes, you can do it either way, Sheryle – I simply nestled the potatoes in the crevices for photographic purposes.
Loving everything about this dish! The creamy sauce sounds incredible!
This looks so amazing! Must try it, Xx
Nikki | http://nikkibstyles.com/all-posts/audrey-hepburns-slutty-spaghetti
I love having so many great “go-to” recipes on your site. Especially chicken dishes. I eat a lot of chicken and there is never a redundancy in suggestions from you. When I have company coming to town or a last minute dinner party, your site is my saving grace!
You know, I love you’re recipes! I’m taking some chicken thighs out of the freezer right now to make this tonight. Thanks so much for another wonderful recipe!!
This looks wonderful! Can you substitute fat free half & half in the sauce? And, travel safely.
Yes, absolutely. And thank you! We made it back to LA this afternoon. 🙂
What’s the difference between roasting chicken and baking it ?
Krystal, here is a great article discussing the difference between the two terms:
http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-roasting-and-baking-word-of-mouth-211695
Hope that helps!
Looks and sounds so good. Thank you and Happy Mother’s Day
I love how you’re food photos look so good that I want to eat the food, even though I’m vegan. Hahaha 😉 Love your blog Chungah!
I made this last night and I could not believe how damn Delicious it was! This is going into my regular rotation! You gotta try this it is delicious!
Making it now! Threw my asparagus in with it as a side! So excited!
Did you bake the asparagus in with the chicken
What about the asparagus, also can I freeze this before or after prep? Before or after baking…? Please reply to my email also…(asap)
I made this tonite and I used boneless chicken breasts, 3 large ones. I had to cook longer than 30 mins, almost an hour…I guess my oven stinks but after 30 mins I turned the heat down to 350 and then 325 so it didnt burn off the sauce. I wish I could post a picture because it was great!!! My bf ate a huge piece of chicken. At first i gave him a half piece but it was so good that I gave him another half. The chicken breast was very large and thick.
I have currently put my dish back in the oven because when I served it after cooking for 30 minutes, the chicken was pink inside and the potatoes were raw.
That is why you use a thermometer to test meat for doneness, ALWAYS.
Hi there – same. I would recommend that the person who posted this be very specific to potato size if they keep the original time and temp in the recipe or make accommodation to reflect that potatoes do take longer. I had baby potatoes cut into small sizes and they were nowhere near done at the 30-minute mark. I dropped the temp down to 375 degrees after that to try to prevent the thick sauce from evaporating more and added another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken broth to the mix. I had the dish in at the extra 375 degrees for at least 15 more minutes.
Thats why its good to know how to cook! I’ve made this dish twice in one month and my guys all love it!!! Yes I had to cook it longer but I know this can happen and I deal with it no problem. This dish is deffinately going to be a keeper in our house!
The first time I made this, I also had problems with the potatoes being under done. The next time, I just boiled the potatoes for about 10 minutes, drained them, & completed the recipe. It came out perfectly!