Marry Me Chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp onion powder
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter (divided for chicken and sauce)
• 0.5 cup yellow onion (diced)
• 5 garlic cloves (minced)
• 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes (sliced; reserve a little oil from the jar)
• 2 cup baby spinach
• 2 cup heavy cream (for the sauce)
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• 3 lb yellow potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)
• 0.75 cup heavy cream (for the potatoes)
• 8 tbsp salted butter (for the potatoes)
• 2 heads garlic (roasted)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to roast the garlic. Cut the tops off 2 heads of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and roast for 30–35 minutes until soft and fragrant.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season the chicken breasts evenly on both sides with the spice mixture.

3. 3

   Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides.

4. 4

   Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and baste the chicken to coat it thoroughly. Once cooked through, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

5. 5

   In the same pan, sauté the diced yellow onion, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, and minced garlic until the onions are translucent and fragrant.

6. 6

   Add the baby spinach to the pan and drizzle a little bit of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar over the top. Cook until the spinach is wilted.

7. 7

   Pour in 2 cups of heavy cream and add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir constantly until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.

8. 8

   Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the creamy sauce over the top of the breasts. Keep warm over low heat.

9. 9

   For the mashed potatoes, place the peeled potato chunks in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender.

10. 10

    Drain the potatoes. Use a potato ricer or masher to process the potatoes until smooth.

11. 11

    Mash in 8 tablespoons of salted butter, 3/4 cup heavy cream, and the cloves squeezed out from the 2 roasted garlic heads. Mix until creamy and well combined.

Notes

For the smoothest mashed potatoes, the author recommends using a potato ricer. You can adjust the amount of sun-dried tomato oil added to the sauce based on your flavor preference.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• chicken
• mashed potatoes
• comfort food
• pan-seared
• weeknight dinner