In about 45 minutes, you can have a chicken skillet dish on the dinner table with pasta and broccoli in a homemade creamy Alfredo sauce. Serve with a side salad and a crusty bread.
10 oz. broccoli
8 oz. penne or bow tie pasta
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts (or 1 very large one)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 c. milk
1 1/4 c. Monterey Jack, Parmesan or Asiago cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
Cook broccoli in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain; cut into small florets; set aside.
Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente; drain; set aside.
Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper on all sides.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter on medium-high heat until hot but not smoking; saute chicken breast for about 5 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat; cover with the lid; allow chicken to rest, off of the heat, covered, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet; cut chicken into bite-sized pieces or slices. Do not clean the skillet.
Add minced garlic to the skillet, cooking it on medium heat in the chicken juices and oil that is remaining in the skillet, scraping up chicken bits from the bottom, for about 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant, making sure to avoid burning. Add cooked broccoli florets; stir in with garlic; remove from the skillet.
Creamy Sauce;
In the same skillet, heat up 1 c. heavy cream until it boils; immediately remove skillet from the burner; add cheese; stir until melted and creamy; put back on the burner on medium-low heat; add milk slowly, in small portions, constantly stirring, simmering, until a creamy consistency is reached.
Add cooked pasta to the sauce; add broccoli; taste and season with salt and pepper; top with chicken.
4 servings.