Chicken in Poor Man's Rich Cream Cheese Sauce

CookETC's Note:

This tastes rich and looks like an expensive gourmet entree, but is actually ready in about 30 minutes and is super easy on the wallet. You probably have all the ingredients on hand.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

CHICKEN

• 6 chicken thighs , boneless and skinless (or 4 boneless, skinless breasts)
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
• ½-2⁄3; cup water (for sauteing chicken)

SAUCE

• 6 ounces cream cheese , cubed (if you like a thicker, richer sauce use 8 ounces cream cheese)
• ¾ cup milk (adjust depending on how thin or thick a sauce you like)
• ½ teaspoon seasoning salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper (red, white or black pepper)
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes (to garnish) or 2 dashes chives (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning salt and garlic powder, and set aside.
2. In a microwaveable bowl, mix cream cheese, milk, garlic powder and pepper.
3. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, checking and stirring until cream cheese is melted.
4. Heat olive oil in a saute pan.
5. Add chicken to pan and saute at medium heat adding small amounts of water to pan, as needed, so that chicken doesn't get too dry or stick to pan. The chicken will release juices that blend with the water.
6. When chicken is cooked through, but there is still some of this "juicy water" in the pan, add the sauce to the pan and cook until heated through.
7. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and arrange on a bed of white rice.
8. Spoon or pour sauce over the chicken and then sprinkle with parsley or chives.
9. NOTE: I usually serve this dish with a side of steamed broccoli drizzled in heated olive oil (I season the heated olive oil with lime juice and garlic powder). YUMMY!

Reviews

[bmcnichol]

This was good and easy to make. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. I used a bit more seasoning salt when seasoning the chicken. I would cut back on the olive oil and only use a tablespoon of olive oil and I didn't add any of the water as I didn't need it. We liked the sauce but it was real thin. I used 8 ounces of cream cheese which gave it a better taste but it was still thin. I served with egg noodles and corn. Hubby combined the chicken, noodles and corn and topped with the sauce. He really enjoyed it that way. I would make again but next time I would cut the milk in half.

[Debber]

Excellent! But then I think anything with Cream Cheese is good! This was a great weekend recipe, we all enjoyed very much. And easy, too! I actually used the whole cream cheese brick (I'm a glutton, what can I say!?). I added some thyme, too. *PAC Autumn 09*