Super Easy Chicken Breast and Cream of Chicken

Easy cream cheese chicken is just a few basic ingredients and simple to make, with a deliciously creamy sauce that coats every piece. Ready in less than 30 minutes!

This post was sponsored by Myxx. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I just have to take a quick minute to say a very happy birthday to my now 6-year-old son, whose birthday is today.  🎉

He's my baby who's not at all a baby these days. But he's still my sweet, happy, super smart, handsome blonde boy that I could just eat right up. ❤️

But let's talk food, a subject he's very interested in as well these days. #growinghungryboy 😉

So you know I'm all about the easy chicken dinners right?

Well this is a super simple, deliciously creamy chicken recipe I've been making for a couple of years now and just had to share with you!

Easy cream cheese chicken has tender strips of chicken that are cooked and coated in a yummy cream cheese mixture, along with some onions and mushrooms.

Everything gets sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, which melts down over the chicken and veggies at the end.

It's so scrumptious and it's perfect for back-to-school season when I need something that's quick but comforting. Something easy but that the whole family will happily sit down to at night.

(And even though this is really easy and basic, I've even made it for company. My mother-in-law said I must give her the recipe!)

This recipe is ready in about 25 minutes, which I love, no matter what night of the week it is.

(We always talk about busy weeknights, but my weekends aren't a time I particularly want to slave away in the kitchen on an involved meal either. Anyone else?)

And I love that this has no heavy cream, which I never seem to have.

In fact, it's only got 7 main ingredients! 🙌

That luxuriously creamy sauce that coats the chicken and mushrooms is just cream cheese and some chicken broth. It melts down with all the flavors from the sautéed onions and mushrooms and the seared bits from the chicken and makes such a delicious sauce.

(I've used that trick before with chicken breast with jalapeño cheese sauce and healthy creamy Italian chicken skillet, among others.)

And because of that sauce, you're definitely going to want to serve this over some fluffy steamed rice.

If you know me, you know I go for the whole grains. But it can take 30-35 minutes to make brown rice. Not exactly ideal if everything else can be ready well before that.

So today I wanted to share with you a new grocery store find: VeeTee rice. It cooks in the microwave, in its own container, in just 2 minutes. Yup, 2 minutes. It gets perfectly fluffy and hot and ready to serve.

You can find VeeTee online but also at Harris Teeter (my local store) and Walmart Grocery. See what flavors you can bring home because this is a serious time saver!

My other favorite time-saving trick: shop your recipes online.

I've gotten to know the folks over at Myxx and I'm in love with their story and their service.

Their service allows recipes to be shop-able. That means when you go down to the recipe card below, you can click their button and add the ingredients you need to your cart.

What cart? Ah, that's the beauty. You get to choose which local grocery store you shop at (they integrate with tons of stores).

AND you can choose to just print your list (which is organized by your local store's layout) to take to the store to do the shopping yourself. Or you can choose curbside pick-up if your local store offers that feature. Or you can pick from delivery options, again, depending on what your local selected store has available.

It's super easy to use and you can add ingredients or shop recipes from all over.

OK, now let's get back to this delicious saucy chicken! 😍 (You can also check out my Google web story for this cream cheese chicken recipe.)

I've got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below. Just tryin' to be helpful.

(And y'all know I like to help you make this recipe your very own!)

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on easy cream cheese chicken:

• You can use more than the 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken in this recipe, but you'll want to increase the cream cheese and chicken broth to make extra sauce. The sauce is SOOO good!
• I love the mushrooms in with this recipe but you could skip them if you don't have any on hand – or don't like them. I've made this without mushrooms before and it was still delicious.
• The recipe calls for the 1/3-less fat cream cheese and it's deliciously creamy. Go for the real deal if you prefer, but I don't recommend using fat free cream cheese.
• If you don't have any chicken broth, you could substitute vegetable broth or just use water.
• I love the melty mozzarella on top but you could also try this served with grated Parmesan if you prefer.
• The parsley is good as a garnish but adds a nice herby freshness too. Feel free to skip it or to use some dried herbs as a seasoning on the chicken if you'd like.

As is, this recipe is gluten-free, low carb and keto-friendly. 👍

Also, a quick word about the chicken in this recipe.

I cut my boneless, skinless chicken breasts into long strips.

That helps ensure more even cooking and also helps stretch the chicken to feed more people. It also cooks more quickly. Win, win, win! 🙌

It's one of my favorite tricks. (See my easy balsamic chicken and salsa chicken for other quick and easy chicken recipes that use this same shortcut.)

If you'd prefer to use full chicken breasts that haven't been sliced, just increase the cooking time to account for the increased thickness.

You could also dice up the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes if you'd rather have smaller pieces. Just be sure to turn them more as they sear and don't overcook them.

And since options make me happy, feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe too. They'll just need some additional cook time to get cooked all the way through.

Want to add a veggie? Me too!

What to serve with cream cheese chicken:

– We love this with some steamed broccoli or some warmed peas. Both take no time at all to make so it's perfect for keeping this as a quick meal.

– I've even thought about increasing the sauce and stirring in some cooked broccoli or peas to this recipe, but I haven't tried that yet. Yet.

– This cream cheese chicken would also be great with a mix of sautéed or roasted veggies. (These Italian roasted mixed vegetables look great!)

– And finally, we do love it best with steamed rice, but you could serve this chicken over quinoa, polenta or mashed potatoes too.

Lastly, I wanted to share some make-ahead and storage tips on this recipe.

You can chop your veggies and slice your chicken ahead of time, but otherwise, I recommend cooking this when you plan to eat it that night. (With that prep, it'll only take about 15-20 minutes for it to cook.)

Storage and reheating tips for cream cheese chicken:

– Place any leftovers, once cooled, in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

– You can reheat the chicken in the microwave.

– I recommend slicing the cooked chicken strips into smaller pieces – like 1-inch cubes or so – to help it reheat more evenly.

– Pop it in the microwave on a plate or in a bowl for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's warmed through. (It may take longer if you are reheating a large amount. Stir and add 30 seconds as needed.)

– You can also try reheating this chicken with cream cheese in a skillet on the stove. You may want to add some extra splashes of chicken broth to help loosen it up and create a sauce again so it doesn't dry out or thicken up too much.

– I don't recommend freezing the leftovers of this chicken.

You can serve it again over rice with a veggie on the side or make a grain bowl or make a cheesy chicken wrap with the leftovers. You can even use this chicken for enchiladas to make a completely different meal another night.

So there you go, another family favorite from our table to yours!

I hope you give this a try for a busy weeknight dinner that's ready in less than 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. You can browse all of my 30-minute chicken recipes for more cooking inspiration!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in strips
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 oz. regular or reduced-fat plain cream cheese
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For serving:

• Steamed rice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil.
2. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
3. Meanwhile, slice the chicken into strips and season with the salt and pepper.
4. Increase the heat to medium high, then add the seasoned chicken strips to the pan. Sear for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until the chicken strips are golden brown.
5. Add the cream cheese and chicken broth and stir until the cream cheese is melted and well incorporated. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the entire pan, then cover, reduce heat and cook another 2-3 minutes, our until chicken is cooked through. (It should reach 165 if you are using a meat thermometer.) Season to taste with extra salt and pepper.
6. Serve the chicken and mushrooms over steamed rice, with parsley if desired.

Notes

Mushrooms: I love the mushrooms in with this recipe but you could skip them if you don't have any on hand - or don't like them. I've made this without mushrooms before and it was still delicious.

Cream cheese: I use the 1/3-less fat cream cheese and it's deliciously creamy. Go for the real deal if you prefer, but I don't recommend using fat free cream cheese.

Broth: If you don't have any chicken broth, you could substitute vegetable broth or just use water.

Cheese: I love the melty mozzarella on top but you could also try this served with grated Parmesan if you prefer.

Herbs: The parsley is good as a garnish but adds a nice herby freshness too. Feel free to skip it or to use some dried herbs as a seasoning on the chicken if you'd like.

Serving: This is great over steamed brown or white rice, but you could also use quinoa, polenta or mashed potatoes.

Steamed broccoli, peas and roasted veggies are all great vegetable sides with this dish.

Leftovers: This keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave (it helps to slice up the chicken into bite size pieces first so they reheat evenly).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488 Total Fat: 19g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 175mg Sodium: 638mg Carbohydrates: 18g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 3g Protein: 58g

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Source: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/easy-cream-cheese-chicken/

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