Tuscan Chicken Recipe
If you're looking for a delicious weeknight meal my Creamy Tuscan Chicken and Potatoes is sure to become a family favorite. Your family will love this simple country dish and you'll love how easy it is to make.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on.
- 2½ cups red bliss potatoes or your favorite potato - rough cut
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon shallots minced
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1½ cup chicken stock
- 1½ cup heavy cream
- 5 ounces Tuscan kale or your favorite green
- ½ cup Romano cheese finely grated
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 slices bacon or pancetta - chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped as garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F
- Season the chicken thighs on both sides with sea salt, black pepper and sweet paprika.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet over high heat.
- Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet skin side down and cook until nicely browned for about 4-5 minutes. Turn the chicken over once it has browned and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside until needed.
- Discard all but one tablespoon of the oil from the skillet. Add the garlic and shallots to the oil, allow to cook for a minute. Then add the heavy cream and chicken stock to the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a light boil, reduce the heat and allow the sauce to reduce for about five minutes until thickened. Add spinach and sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the grated Romano cheese, and mix well. Taste the sauce and reseason as needed.
- Place the cut potatoes into a baking dish so they make one layer in the baking dish. *If the potatoes are on top of each other you need a larger baking dish
- Pour the sauce over the potatoes and place the chicken chicken thighs on top of the potatoes.
- Place the baking dish in the 375 degree preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender and the chicken is fully cooked.*use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.
- While your chicken is in the oven, add the chopped bacon to a clean skillet and cook until golden brown and crispy. Set aside until needed.
- Serve the chicken with a portion of the potatoes. Garnish with the crispy bacon and chopped parsley.
Notes
If you'd rather use pasta instead of potatoes, you can easily make the switch and turn it into a Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta dish.
Do I have to use Chicken Thighs?
No, you don't. You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or a whole cut-up chicken instead of just thighs. The process is the same as long as you leave the skin on. Either way, you make it, my creamy Tuscan chicken recipe is a keeper!
**If you choose skinless breasts or thighs, you don't have to sear the chicken for as long since there is no skin to crisp up.
Can I make substitutions in this dish?
You sure can! If you can't find baby kale or prefer using fresh spinach (or any other green), feel free to make the change. I like using baby kale because it's more tender than the larger leaves.
You can leave out the sun-dried tomatoes if you don't like them or can't find them. Or you can swap them out for cherry tomatoes. If you use cherry or grape tomatoes, cut them in half and use them more as a garnish. You can cook them, but raw, they will add a nice fresh pop to the dish.
The bacon garnish is optional. You can cook it with the shallots and garlic and add it directly to the sauce. You could also use chopped prosciutto instead of bacon.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container or well sealed with plastic wrap for 3-4 days. It can be frozen for up to three months, but the sauce will need to be rethickened.
To reheat, place it in a frying pan over medium heat. Add more chicken stock or heavy cream to build out the sauce and re-season to taste.
What goes with Tuscan chicken?
I like to serve this dish with a side salad and crusty bread (or garlic bread). But if you don’t mind the extra carbs, it can be served over rice or pasta, making this a very filling meal.
Nutrition
Calories: 1035kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 51gFat: 82gSaturated Fat: 35gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 370mgSodium: 642mgPotassium: 1411mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5503IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 289mgIron: 4mg
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