I love using cream and milk in my cooking to spruce up an occasional dinner! This creamy chicken dinner is so easy to make, but it has that heartwarming, homemade feel.

I first made this dish while cooking last minute one evening. Not wanting to simply fry chicken breast on the stove top again, I got thinking of how I could cook the same thing just a little differently. I was feeling bored of what we had been eating lately, and I decided that having a creamy dish would help switch things up! So knowing that cream of mushroom soups were commonly seasoned with thyme, and since I had 2 cups of cream saved in my fridge, I decided to see what would happen if I combined the cream with salt, garlic, thyme, and flour and added it to the chicken. I was not surprised when this came out mouth-wateringly good, and I was so excited to have stumbled upon something so simple!

Since then, I have used this same concept in multiple other dishes or with different meats such as pork chops. It has not failed me yet! Don’t disregard this recipe if you don’t have cream. I have followed the same process using milk, and it yeilds very similar results. You may notice it just is not as creamy and rich tasting as when you use the cream.

How to best serve creamy chicken

Creamy chicken is best if served over something like rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta. I like to have a simple veggie on the side as well. Some great combinations are peas or broccoli. You can also add peas or broccoli directly to the skillet if you want to make it more like a casserole. If doing so, ensure your skillet is well oiled, and add the vegetable after beginning to cook the chicken and before adding your cream mixture so that it has time to cook before creating the sauce.

The Process

Simply begin by adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your cast iron skillet for cooking the chicken. If using onions or mushrooms dice them and add them to the skillet at the same time as your chicken strips. You can cut your chicken however you see fit for this dish: diced, strips, cut in half, or even using the whole breast. However, for the most tender, melt in your mouth results, I like to cut the chicken breasts into strips or slices sort of like pork chops.

Allow the chicken to cook on each side until fully cooked through. This should only take 10-15 minutes depending on how you sliced the chicken. If unsure if it is cooked, you can cut into the pieces and watch to see that the juices run clear. If you can cut it gently with a fork, then it is done.

Take a liquid measuring cup and fill with 2 cups of cream or milk. To the milk add: 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of thyme, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Wisk the ingredients together well and pour the mixture over the chicken. If using milk, you may need to add a just a little bit more flour to see it thicken to your desired consistency.

Bring the skillet to a simmer, stirring consistently to ensure there is no sticking. Allow the liquid to simmer until it is noticably thickening. This should take only 2-5 minutes. At this point you can remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool before serving!

The recipe

If you tried this recipe, let me know how it turned out! And share with another mom who could use an easy idea for sprucing up dinners!