Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
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A complete meal in one! Baked crisp-tender chicken with potatoes and spinach, so good!
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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 i love this recipe
- 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 garlicky Parmesan cream sauce. This is a cream sauce of dreams – rich, silky 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 this impressive yet easy peasy chicken and potato dinner
- Make the garlic parmesan cream sauce until the desired consistency is reached (note: heavy cream will yield a richer sauce)
- Season the chicken and sear until the skin is golden brown and crispy
- Cook the spinach until wilted in the pan juices
- Add everything to a baking dish, roasting until both the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and tender
- Serve, spooning over some of that leftover sauce on anything and everything
tips and tricks for success
- Bone-in is ideal. While boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used with a shorter cooking time, bone-in will be juicier and have extra flavor.
- 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.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens 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!
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/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 great subs.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
A complete meal in one! Baked crisp-tender chicken with potatoes and spinach, so good!
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
Equipment
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
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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!