Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

I always love a good skillet chicken meal after a long day of work. We do chicken skillets often enough that I can do them fairly quickly and easily so it's a great weekday night meal in our house. But I must say that they didn't use to come that easily! It definitely started out with being a Sunday dinner type of thing where I had a day off of work and could take the extra time to figure out a new recipe.

I'd definitely recommend trying to plan new and more intense recipes for days that aren't as busy, and then rotating the tried and mastered ones on the busier days. As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I used to only cook one nice meal a week, and everything else was simple, such as takeout or frozen burritos. It took time to try new recipes and figure out which ones were keepers, and then to cook them again and again until I got good at them. Only then did it get easier to start fitting better, home cooked meals into the middle of the more chaotic days as well.

This post is to present one of my favorite chicken skillet recipes. I think chicken skillet meals are some of the perfect leftovers to pack up for a work lunch as well, which is another reason I love to cook these on a weekday night. This basil cream chicken is so flavorful yet simple. I know you will love this one so make sure to try it out and save it so you have it again for later!

Chicken in Basil Cream

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 (4 oz) jar pimientos, drained

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Place milk in one shallow bowl, and the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.

2. Pound the chicken breast down to 1/2 thickness to ensure it will cook evenly. Dip the chicken breast into the milk, then coat with breadcrumbs. Place aside on a plate.

3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Melt butter in the skillet. Add the coated chicken and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside on a clean plate.

4. Add chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Add heavy cream and pimientos. Boil for an additional minute, stirring continuously. Reduce heat to a simmer.

6. Add parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper. Add chicken back to the skillet and cook until heated through.