Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
October 16, 2018 By Cathy — No CommentsPerfect for entertaining or just a casual night in, these chicken breasts are simmered in an impossibly creamy sauce flavored with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Easy on the eyes and the tastebuds.
You know those staple items you always keep on hand in your refrigerator? The “security stash” that paired with a couple of extras mean you can have a home-cooked meal on the table in no time? Outside of the usual onions, garlic, and butter, I have a few items that are my secret weapons for last minute meals that will make it seem like you’ve been planning for days.
My refrigerator must-have’s include a block of parmesan, lemons, sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, pancetta, buttermilk, and white wine (yep, just for cooking…wink wink). Throw in my freezer must-have’s (chicken breasts, sweet sausage, compound butter, and nuts), a few pantry staples, and the options for dinner are practically endless.
These staples are the foundation to many of my family’s favorite meals like:
creamy pasta with sausage and mushrooms
creamy lemon and herb chicken thighs
easy breaded chicken breasts
chicken breasts with creamy spinach sauce.
The parmesan adds savory umami, the lemon brightness and acidity, and sun-dried tomatoes bring concentrated tart/sweetness. I use a splash of heavy cream to create silky sauces, pancetta (which can be purchased in small cubes) for seasoning and saltiness, buttermilk for tangy marinades, and white wine to deglaze the pan as the base for sauces (and to loosen my shoulders as I cook). Frozen chicken breasts and sweet sausages are quick to defrost and endlessly versatile, compound butter can take fish from boring to jazz hands, and nuts can bring crunch and texture to salads.
Today I’m going to show you how to make a company-worthy dinner using few of these ingredients as your inspiration.
Let’s make Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
- After dredging the chicken in seasoned flour, heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 mins. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- Add minced garlic to the pan and deglaze with white wine.
- Add heavy cream, chicken stock, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season, simmer and reduce slightly.
- Add the parmesan, basil and chicken to the pan. Turn to coat. Simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked though. Sprinkle with remaining basil and serve.
Tips for success
- Prep everything before you start cooking. This recipe cooks up fast, so it makes sense to have everything ready to go before your turn on the heat.
- I recommend thin cut chicken breasts or halved chicken breasts pounded thin for this recipe. These cook evenly and quickly and I love the sauce to chicken ratio.
- Dredging the chicken in seasoned flour promotes browning and will give your chicken an appetizing color in a short amount of time.
- The chicken won’t be fully cooked when you sear it initially and that’s what you want. It will finish cooking when you add it back to the sauce and ensure a tender bite.
Keeping a few ingredients regularly stocked means dinner doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. What are your favorite flavors and ingredient must-haves? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Perfect for entertaining or just a casual night in, these chicken breasts are simmered in an impossibly creamy sauce flavored with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Easy on the eyes and the tastebuds.
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thin cut, 8 pieces)
- 1/4 cup flour (I like Wondra, but AP will work)
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning, dried
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- kosher salt and pepper
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Combine flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the mixture and set aside.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over med-high heat and add the chicken in a single layer (you will need to do this in two steps).
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Brown on one side, flip, and brown on the other, about 4 mins total. Remove the chicken to a pan and cover to keep warm. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for 1-2 mins, being careful not to burn.
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Carefully add the wine and bring to a boil. Once the wine is reduced by half, add the sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer.
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Continue to simmer for 2-3 mins, until slightly reduced. Add the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Stir in half the basil.
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Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn to coat. Reduce the heat to low and let the chicken cook through and the sauce to thicken, about 5 mins. Sprinkle with remaining basil and serve.
- Prep everything before you start cooking. This recipe cooks up fast, so it makes sense to have everything ready to go before your turn on the heat.
- I recommend thin cut chicken breasts or halved chicken breasts pounded thin for this recipe. These cook evenly and quickly and I love the sauce to chicken ratio.
- Dredging the chicken in seasoned flour promotes browning and will give your chicken an appetizing color in a short amount of time.
- The chicken won't be fully cooked when you sear it initially and that's what you want. It will finish cooking when you add it back to the sauce and ensure a tender bite.
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