Baked Mushroom Chicken + Whole Wheat Pasta + Steamed Broccoli

The below recipe focuses on three tenets of a meal plan: carbohydrates, protein and vegetables. It is simple, and using the oven to bake chicken in the sauce makes for minimal cleanup.

Creamy Baked Mushroom Chicken (Dairy-free)

Ingredients:

· 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

· 2 tbsp grapeseed oil

· ½ tbsp dairy-free unsalted butter

· ½ pound mushrooms

· 3 cloves of garlic minced/finely chopped

· ½ small onion

· 1 tsp salt

· 1 tsp black pepper

· ¼ tsp dried parsley

· ¼ tsp dried thyme

· 3 tbsp. All-purpose flour

· 1/3 cup oat milk (with fat)

· ½ cup chicken broth

Instructions:

We suggest that you follow the below instructions in a sequence to avoid missing, adding anything.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Season the chicken thighs on both the sides with salt and pepper. No definite amounts. Use your discretion.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp grapeseed oil. Add the seasoned chicken thighs to the skillet and sauté them.

4. Meanwhile, chop up the ½ pound of mushrooms into thick slices and keep aside. Flip the chicken thighs.

5. Finely chop up a half of a small onion. Mince/finely chop 3 cloves of garlic. Keep ¼ tsp of dried parsley and thyme ready.

6. Grease a baking dish big enough to contain 6 chicken thighs and some sauce with butter. We chose an 8-inch square dish. If the temperature on chicken thighs reads close to 165 degrees F, transfer them to the baking dish.

7. In the same skillet, add ½ tbsp butter and sauté chopped onions and mushrooms.

8. Mix 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour and some water to form a thin paste in a small dish. Add this mixture to the skillet and stir to coat the mushrooms with it. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir the mixture. Let it sit over medium heat till you see the mixture is thickening.

9. Add 1/3 cup oat milk (full fat) for the creaminess. Add half a teaspoon of salt and pepper each and stir. Let the mixture sit on medium heat for atleast 2 minutes. Taste to adjust the salt per your personal preference. Add ¼ tsp of dried parsley and dried thyme. Stir, taste, and adjust again. Top the chicken thighs in the dish with this creamy sauce.

10. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and transfer this to the heated oven for 35–40 minutes.

Note:

It might look like too many steps. But it all takes anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes from the start to chicken in the oven.

You can also add ¼ cup of full fat cream substituting oat milk if you love dairy. Use gluten-free all-purpose flour and pasta if you like to eat a gluten and dairy free meal.

11. You can clean up the cutting board and kitchen for 20 minutes to minimize clean up post dinner.

12. When there are 15 minutes remaining on the oven timer, put water with salt to boil for whole wheat pasta. This way it would be ready by the time chicken is.

13. Steam up some frozen broccoli in the microwave for 2–3 minutes.

14. After 15 minutes, serve the creamy chicken over pasta with broccoli on the side for a complete and healthy meal.