Herb Crusted Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

Tonight I was completely blown away by dinner.  I've been anticipating this recipe all month.  It's the one new recipe I picked just for me because I wasn't entirely sure Aaron would eat it.  I put it off until the end of the month, stupidly.  I wish I could make it again tomorrow night, and the next night.  I wish I could eat this sauce on pasta and potatoes and vegetables and pork chops and chicken every day for the rest of my life.  It's so good, I think I could eat it on cardboard and still enjoy it.



I found the original recipe on Pinterest, but I've been looking over this blog for weeks now.  She has quite a few recipes that I'd like to try so you should totally check her out.

I was apprehensive about the sauce because I wasn't sure if Aaron would eat it with the diced tomatoes.  I debated leaving them out, but ultimately decided that it would be best to follow the recipe exactly since it's my first attempt at it.  I don't have a problem with diced tomatoes as long as they're cooked so they weren't a problem for me, and when I served Aaron's plate I carefully spooned around the tomatoes so his sauce was tomato free.  We both loved this meal and I will be making it again very soon.

Herb Crusted Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup roasted garlic seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp roasted garlic and herb flavored grill seasoning (the original recipe used McCormick Perfect Pinch Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper seasoning but I couldn't find it so I used Weber Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning
3 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup petite diced tomatoes (the canned tomatoes)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh or dried chopped basil
dash of black pepper

Start by pounding your chicken with a mallet so that it is flat and thin.  This will help the chicken cook faster and more evenly.  Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Pour the milk into one shallow bowl and in another shallow bowl combine the bread crumbs and grill seasoning.  Dip each piece of chicken first into the milk, then into the bread crumb mixture and then place in the skillet with the melted butter to fry.  Fry about 5 minutes on each side, until the crust turns golden brown and the inside is fully cooked.  Once the chicken is cooked through remove from the pan and set aside.

To make the sauce add the garlic to the pan and cook about 30 seconds just until it fills the kitchen with its lovely aroma.  Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan.  Make sure to gently lift the browned bits from the cooked chicken as you stir the chicken broth.  Stir in the cream and tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring for one minute.  Reduce the heat to low and add the parmesan, basil, and pepper.  Stir and cook the sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

Serve the sauce over the chicken.

I served this with roasted garlic and herb mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, but it would be fantastic with some pasta.  The sauce is a bit like a tomato Alfredo sauce that would work so nicely with the pasta.  As I said before the sauce is good on everything.  I dipped the broccoli in it and even spooned some over my potatoes.