Chicken and Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
by Chungah
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I have made this recipe several times following it exactly as is and it’s always a hit with the whole family! One of our favorites! Tonight I added mushrooms and it was SO good!
Do you think it would be okay to make the sauce the day before and poured on top later to throw in the oven and bake? Trying to make the week nights as easy as possible. Thanks!
DELICIOUS! I used 3-4 thin sliced chicken breast, cayenne pepper instead of black pepper, 1/2 potatoes recommended considering another review to double the sauce. So good! Only other thing I personally would do differently is add more spinach.Thank you for sharing!
Made this for supper tonight and it was an easy recipe that was delicious. My son loved it and said this you can make again…it was a good supper. I will make sure I pin this recipe.
Amazing recipe, especially the sauce. Was a BIG hit with our guests AND toddler.
This recipe got thumbs up all round at our table! I added some white wine to the garlic mix which added a nice flavour. I didn’t have any spinach but used beetroot leaves from my garden and it worked well. Definitely a keeper, thank you 🙂
This turned out really good. My husband said it was delicious. I made it as stated except for putting the cut up potatoes mixed with a little olive oil on a baking sheet and in the oven while I made the rest. I cooked the combined ingredients for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and it was perfect.
Delicious! I really enjoyed it. It’s very rich so plan your side dishes to be light and refreshing?
The sauce was delicious when i tried it before adding it on top of the chicken. I feel the grease from the thighs thinned the sauce out and made it separate. I did have to cook longer b/c of the potatoes not being done. Next time I’ll use chicken breasts to make it healthier for me to eat and I’ll pre cook potatoes a lil. Might also add mushrooms and more spinach. I did put a ton more garlic than it called for and I also doubled the sauce and used a bigger roasting pan so there would be room for everything. I just couldn’t get over the grease and seeing it in the pan mixing with my delicious sauce. Will still make again with changes.
Delicious recipe. Husband loved it and the sauce was a hit. Thank you!
I used chicken breasts and added onion with the garlic. This sauce was out of this world! Next time I’ll also include mushrooms. Just seems like they would go well and increase the veggies.
One small thing to simplify steps. I didn’t set my spinach aside. I went ahead and put it on top of the chicken.
Do you peel the potatoes or just leave skins on?
What type of potatoes can you use if you can’t find Dutch
Yukon gold! Russet will fall apart.
Really liked this, but I find it needs more like 40 minutes for the potatoes to not be undercooked. I also tried it with boneless/skinless thighs since that’s what I had on hand, and it still turned out great! Easier for serving to my kids without the bone too.
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!! and I’m not even a great cook. lol
This dish is absolutely delicious. The chicken and potatoes are so flavorful. I will definitely be making it any. I did parboil the potatoes and I baked it at 375 for one hour.
Super Delicious! I added a little chicken broth to bottom of dish before pouring the cream sauce b/c I was nervous about undercooked potatoes and it was fine/delicious. Also used 2%milk instead of 1/2&1/2. Probably tripled the garlic. :-). Will definitely be adding this to the rotation.
Great recipe! Family loves it! Compatible with a restaurant dish.., that delicious. Just put chicken and potatoes into the oven raw . No issues! Cook for awhile while I prepare the spinach and sauce! Add mushrooms. Also do half and half with yams. Don’t need 1/2 and 1/2 milk. Regular milk is fine. Also use lactose free. Milk. Can’t really screw any up! Always tastes amazing! Thank you
My guests loved it! How much you say? They begged for the recipe.
This recipe has become a staple in our house! I get asked for it about once a week! It’s an awesome recipe as is; but I wanted to share a few changes we made in case they interest others 🙂
1. We use chicken breast. It would probably be better with thighs, as written, but our family buys meat in bulk and we don’t typically have thighs on hand. Even with breast meat, I’ve never had the chicken dry out or be weird at all (which we all know can sometimes happen).
2. We add carrots with the potatoes. Just adds another vegetable to make the “side dish” part of this dish go further. We use Yukon Gold’s because the baby dutch potatoes at our local store aren’t always the best quality.
3. We add a pinch of salt and garlic powder to the spinach as it wilts. Definitely adds a dimension of flavor.
4. We double the sauce. We’re sauce-y people, so we double the parmesan cream sauce amounts so there’s extra.
But seriously, even without all our changes, it’s a great recipe. I totally recommend trying it!
Just amazing. Will definitely make this again and again.
This was SO good! I used russet potatoes because I have no idea what Dutch potatoes are. Lol. I cut them into 1” pieces and roasted them in the oven while I prepared everything else. They came out perfect. I also used frozen spinach thawed out and chicken quarters. The chicken was super tender, the potatoes were crispy and flavorful. I love this dish!