Marry Me Chicken & Eliza Bike

I’d been saving Jenn’s recipe for Marry Me Chicken waiting for the right time to make it.  We recently made chicken kebabs and after Jaccarding, I cubed the thick part of the breasts for them and saved the thinner pieces for something else and this recipe seemed to be the perfect use for them.  I had 2½ pounds of chicken so I doubled everything to get the recipe below.  You can see the original recipe plus pics by clicking on the above link.

Marry Me Chicken – Adapted from Once Upon A Chef

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2½ lbs. thin chicken breast pieces

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 small yellow onion, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cup heavy cream

2 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

4 teaspoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese – Note 1

4 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, plus more for serving

Note 1.  We buy a wedge of Romano or Parmesan, run it thru the food processor grater blade, and keep it stored it the fridge for uses like this – much better than the green container from the store.

Instructions:

1. Season the chicken with S&P.

2. Place the flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and the ¼ tsp. black pepper in a ziplock bag (paper bag for Larry) and shake to combine.

3. Add the chicken to the bag; seal the bag tightly and shake to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan and cook, flipping once, until the chicken is lightly golden and just cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a rack and set into a 160F oven.

5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more; do not brown.

7. Add the cream, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt; use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid. 

8. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

9. Stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano (or Pecorino Romano) and basil.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

10. Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate; reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more.

We sided it with rice and salad.

The Verdict:

Pat and Cindy had done a web search for Marry Me Chicken and it turns out there are many recipes for it – all are similar.  We all thought this version was very good but not sure it would result in a marriage.  I plan to make it again but may add some more items to it like mushrooms or spinach.  

Bike 

Unfortunately, Eliza's big gift holidays are in Nov & Dec but she is ready for riding toys now so we bought her BD and Christmas presents early - of course there will be more then.  For use at our house we have a Big Wheel on the way.

And for her to take home, where she has parks in which to ride, we got her a 20" bike, which she may have to grow into.

It's been awhile since I assembled Christmas presents, but I think I have it good to go.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

04/03/23 meal date