basil

 
Fall officially starts tomorrow and it’s the time of the year I really get the motivation to cook, so you’ll be seeing an increase in the frequency of posts for awhile.  That wonderful crispness in the air isn’t quite here yet, but the mornings are giving us hints of what’s to come!

This Chicken in Basil Cream will be a great Fall comfort food,  served along with warm homemade rolls and roasted root vegetables.

I’ve had this over on my “Recipes Without Pictures” tab since the opening of this site.  What? You didn’t know that tab was there?  There aren’t many recipes, but I keep some of my favorites over there that I just haven’t had time to recook and take photos of, but that I wanted you to know about.  

This particular recipe is one of my top rated, mainly because of the incredible basil sauce!

It originally called for 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and you’re welcome to use that, but I lightened it up a bit and used part cream, part evaporated milk.  It didn’t lose any of it’s creamy deliciousness with the substitute.  

I’m really not kidding on how good Chicken in Basil Cream is – it’s hard not to lick the plates as well as the sauce pan!

As you can see, I only took one good photo of the dish. We couldn’t wait any longer to devour it. I really hope you make this – it’s easy and you’ll wonder where this sauce has been your whole life (oh, and the chicken is good, too).

Chicken in Basil Cream

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Five Star Recipe - chicken breast with a fantastic basil cream sauce.

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Ingredients

• 1/4 C. milk
• 1/4 C. dry bread crumbs
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly flattened to about 1/2"
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 C. chicken broth
• 1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 C. evaporated milk
• 1/2 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 scant tbsp. fresh basil, minced
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Place milk in a shallow bowl and bread crumbs on a flat plate.  Dip chicken in milk, then coat with the crumbs.  
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chicken in the butter - 5 to 6 minutes on each side until the juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.
3. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat; stir to loosen browned bits.  
4. Stir in the cream and evaporated milk - boil and stir for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add the Parmesan cheese about a tablespoon at a time - stirring between each addition.  
5. Stir in the basil and pepper and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Pour over the chicken.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Watch the butter when you're cooking the chicken - you don't want it to burn, but you do want it golden brown to add to the flavor of the sauce.

I highly recommend fresh basil - it's so easy to find in the grocery store these days.  If you use dried basil, only use a scant 1/2 teaspoon and let it simmer in the sauce awhile to soften it up and release the flavor.

As always, no green-can Parmesan cheese!  Make sure it's freshly grated.  You add it a little at a time so it will melt nicely into the sauce - otherwise the Parmesan will clump up.

No salt was added to the recipe because the chicken broth, butter and Parmesan provide all it needs.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 806Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 33gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 257mgSodium: 1060mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 53g

Nutrition Values are Approximate