If you love easy, delicious weekday chicken recipes as much as I do, then you’ll want to try this Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans, Mango Salsa Chicken, or this Stuffed Chicken Marsala. If you took one look at this dish and thought this looked way too complicated, don’t worry! It’s absolutely not. Like all my chicken recipes, I try to make them easily accessible to all — even those who rarely set foot in their kitchens. That being said, I know I am no stranger to a kitchen so to me, testing out new recipes is not a big deal, as I do it all the time for this little ole blog right here. But, if you were going try a chicken dish out for yourself, your family, or even special guests, this would be a great one to test. Also, lately I have been thinking about the trip I took with my mom to Italy and dreaming of the Tuscan sun. I like to pretend I’m making this dinner in my small but charming kitchen, with the windows open and the fresh breeze blowing in through the house. We’d eat our meal outside on the covered porch of course and stare out into the rolling hills and valleys, taking our time and eating as much creamy parmesan chicken and pasta (of course) as our hearts desired. Buuuuuut, since we’re not in Italy, I try to recreate some of those meals the best I can from memory in my own little charming house in Utah. If I can’t eat in Italy, at least I can bring a little bit of Italy to me whenever I want. Serving Suggestions Ah I think you might already know what I’m going to say here, right? If you guessed pasta, you would be oh-so-right. Pasta is by far my #1 way to eat this saucy Tuscan Chicken but also with just about any saucy chicken or just about any meal, at all, ever. That being said, I know that sometimes you want some options, and that’s okay too. Try:
Serving the chicken over a side of wilted spinach (leaving it out of the main dish, or in addition to) or kale for a healthier, low-carb option. If you want the “pasta” without the carbs, try using spiralized vegetables such as zucchini or yellow squash. Having this chicken on the side of a heaping mound of buttery mashed potatoes. OMG. Rice is a great grain to use under a chicken dish that features a nice sauce. Rice soaks up the sauce so well — you might find yourself licking the plate after that combo. Roasted vegetables go great with this chicken as well. Some of my favorites include Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and broccoli. Another side that’s always in my pantry, freezer, bread basket, fridge, basically everywhere is bread. Crusty bread, French bread, Sourdough, savory rolls, biscuits, sweet rolls, store-bought, homemade, you name it, we have it. So, yeah…serve this chicken with bread and a veggie and you got yourself a wonderful meal.
What is in Tuscan Seasoning? For this chicken dish, I used an Italian spice blend. However, you might have noticed a specific “Tuscan Seasoning” in your grocer’s spice aisle. This is perfectly okay to substitute for Italian herbs, if you can find it. It’s generally made with garlic, basil, rosemary, fennel, and oregano. If you have neither an Italian nor a Tuscan spice blend, then you can use a quarter teaspoon of the basil, rosemary, fennel, and oregano. Don’t worry about the garlic because you’re already adding minced garlic to the butter. Friends, I’ve got you covered as far as this chicken recipe goes! Expert Tips
Pounding chicken can be a pain, I know. But…I think this step is really important to ensure even cooking time. I have never gotten a package of chicken that had all the same size pieces in it, ever. And they are ALWAYS thicker in the middle than on the ends. So, I always make sure they are all the same size by pounding them into shape. (Do this in between two pieces of plastic wrap so that you don’t get chicken juice all over your kitchen.) Keep the chicken warm after you first brown it while you make the sauce. You don’t want your chicken to cool off, then start cooking again or you might end up with chewy chicken. If you are going to serve this Tuscan chicken with a pasta or rice, I would recommend you time it so that they are both done together, if possible. Otherwise, the sauce will start to gel and the chicken will start to cool and it’s just so, so, so much better if you have it all hot and ready together. If you don’t want to use heavy cream, you can use half and half or milk, but your sauce will not be as creamy. Make sure your spinach is washed and dried before you add it to the chicken mixture otherwise that added water can make your sauce too runny. Also, I do recommend using fresh spinach but if you want to use frozen, make sure it is thawed and all the water has been squeezed out before adding it in.
