Creamy Pesto Chicken

Ya’ll have been requesting this recipe ever since I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. This is an easy recipe that cooks quickly so it works well during the work week. (I love quick and easy!) You can use chicken breasts or thighs. I prefer thighs but I was making this dish for my friend, Lysa, and I wasn’t sure what her family preferred so I went with safe choice of white meat

I served this with Whole Grain Rice Pilaf and sauteed asparagus. I think it would work well with just plain brown rice or pasta as there is plenty of sauce.

I think this sauce would also work well with a firm fleshed white fish or scallops. Just reduce the cooking time accordingly. The sauce is fairly rich so definitely pair it with a green veggie and/or a salad.

Creamy Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half or 8 boneless, skinless thighs (or combination)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 ounce block cream cheese, room temperature and cut into cubes
• 2/3 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 1 cup shredded six blend Italian cheese

Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Place half of the pieces in hot pan and brown on both sides. Once both sides are brown, reduce heat and cover to cook chicken through. (There should be plenty of juice in the pan but if it is dry, add a few tablespoons of chicken stock or water so the chicken doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.) This should take 6-8 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken. Remove to dish and repeat process  with other half of chicken.

Once all the chicken has been cooked and set aside, deglaze the pan with wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get any tasty bits of flavor. Stir in the water and whisk in the cubes of room temperature cream cheese and the pesto sauce, stirring until cream cheese is melted. Bring to a very low simmer. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the ban, spooning sauce to coat each piece. Sprinkle each piece with an equal amount of the cheese. Cover and simmer until the cheese has melted and chicken is heated through.

Serves 6

Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn