Creamy Chicken Skillet

Weeknight Skillet Love

I am a sucker for one-pan meals. Anything that can be baked in a single dish and eaten for a couple of days count me in. This is the perfect way to use all of those odds and ends left in your fridge and master a foundation to meet your family or friends’ culinary needs, all in one pan.

The key to this dish is building a deep base of flavor. Otherwise, the taste can get lost in the starchy noodles (you can also omit the noodles from this dish if you’d like). I love to make this extra saucy and use caramelized onions to add richness and natural sweetness to the dish. The thickened chicken broth takes a touch of extra time, but the flavor is well worth it.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken (or any other protein) I like to buy a cooked chicken and then use the bones at a later date for chicken stock

2 large yellow onions thinly sliced

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or bacon fat/beef tallow)

6 tablespoons butter (whole unsalted)

1/2 cups AP flour

1.5-quart chicken broth

1/2 lb cooked pasta shells (not a full package)

1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half

2 cups broccoli florets

1 zucchini small dice

2 tablespoons chopped basil

3 cups freshly shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Notes:

*I use raw vegetables as they will steam inside the bake.

*You can mix in any other ingredients that you have in your fridge. Have fun!

Steps:

1. Cook your pasta until it’s al dente, strain and cool.

2. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or bacon fat/beef tallow) to a large Dutch oven pan, bring to medium-high heat, and add your onions.

3. Reduce the heat to low and slowly caramelize your onions until they are soft, broken down, and browned. This will take 20-30 minutes over low heat. Be patient, as the flavor will be well worth it.

4. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Mix the flour directly into the pan, and you will create a roux. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in your chicken broth. Mix the roux into the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes. The sauce should thicken. Then, remove from the heat and cool a bit.

5. To make the “bake” mix the cooled chicken broth, tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, chicken, basil, and mozzarella together in a large bowl.

6. Rub butter all over the inside of a large skillet or baking pan. Pour the mixture into the pan and press down. Wrap with aluminum foil and bake in a 325F oven for about 20 minutes. Then remove the foil, top with the parmesan, and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

7. Remove, scoop, and serve!