The Corporate Cookbook

About This Recipe:

As a 90’s kid, I grew up eating a lot of Lean Cuisine meals that my mom would buy in the Costco 4-packs. Even though I knew that they were not healthy, I was a fan of the low calorie counts and convenience. One of my favorite meals was the chicken with basil cream sauce and pasta, so I decided to recreate it from scratch. This sauce tastes super decadent and rich, but isn’t too bad for you with just 1/4 cup of heavy cream and Parmesan cheese for 4 servings. This recipe brings me back to my childhood Lean Cuisine days, and I hope that someone out there who makes this also remembers it from back in the day.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (4 servings)

-4 chicken breasts
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1 cup chicken broth
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1/4 cup heavy cream
-1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
-1/2 lemon, juiced
–Optional: smashed potatoes and frisée 
-Olive oil
-Salt and pepper

Instructions (45 minutes) 

1. In a large pan over medium heat, pour in 1-2 tbls of olive oil and sear the chicken breasts for 4-6 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a dish. The chicken does not have to be fully cooked at this point.
2. Cook the garlic for 1 minute and then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then whisk in the Parmesan.
3. Add in the heavy cream, basil, and lemon juice, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Transfer the chicken back into the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes until fully cooked. Serve with your sides of choice.
4. Optional- Smashed potatoes. Bring water to a boil and cook a pound of baby red skin potatoes for about 15 minutes until tender. Then use the back of a cup or bowl to smash the potatoes on a baking sheet. Coat with olive oil, 1 tsp of dried rosemary, and salt and pepper and bake at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes.