Say hello to your new comfort food dish: Smothered Chicken and Broiled Broccolini.
This book-inspired recipe for Meg and Jo was an easy pick.
One of the things I loved about this novel is that it contains no shortage of delicious food.
At one point, Jo March is asked to make “family dinner” for the restaurant crew where she works, and she whips up a Southern staple of smothered chicken, cornbread, and collard greens.
I swear my eyebrows shot up about 10 inches when I read the words “Smothered Chicken.”
I had no idea what it was, but it sounded like something that a) would be buried under boatloads of gravy, and 2) I would have to try.
I googled a bunch of recipes for Smothered Chicken, then finally cobbled together one of my own featuring all the elements I liked from each version.
My recipe for Smothered Chicken may not be authentically Southern, but it damn sure is delicious.
We’re talking tender, seared chicken breast, lots of fresh thyme and sautéed mushrooms, and everything covered – nay, smothered — in a thick, savory gravy made with pan drippings from the chicken.
Each bite is moist, juicy, and packed with flavor.
Jo served her Smothered Chicken over cornbread and collard greens, and while I love me some cornbread, I cannot stand collard greens. Just…no. I’m from New Jersey. It’s not happening.
So, I took some liberties with Jo’s dish and served my Smothered Chicken over a bed of steamed white rice and with a side of broiled broccolini.
The starchy grains are perfect for soaking up the pools of gravy, and the crisp, green broccolini brightens up the dish with both freshness and color.
Just so you know: broccolini is my new favorite vegetable. It’s like broccoli, but way better. Mostly because it cooks in only 3-4 minutes when you broil it.
That pretty much makes broccolini the easiest, most fool-proof side dish ever.
Smothered Chicken and Broiled Broccolini is simple enough to make on a weeknight, but fancy and flavorful enough to impress your guests.
Make it tonight for a comforting meal that’s ready in much less time than you’d think!
Smothered Chicken with Broiled Broccolini
Ingredients
SMOTHERED CHICKEN INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- additional 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- extra chopped thyme or parsley for garnish (optional)
BROILED BROCCOLINI INGREDIENTS
- 2 bunches raw broccolini
- extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
- red chili flakes, to taste
Instructions
SMOTHERED CHICKEN INSTRUCTIONS
- Chop thyme and onion and set aside.
- Add 3 tbsp butter to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add thyme, onions, and mushrooms and stir to coat. Sautee until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove veggies and their juice to a bowl and set aside.
- In a shallow dish, combine the 1/2 cup flour, paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour mixture and set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 3 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside; be sure to leave any drippings in the pan.
- Reduce heat to low under the skillet. Whisk 4 tbsp flour into the skillet drippings to create a roux over. (If your pan is too dry, you can add another tbsp. of butter). Cook for one minute, whisking constantly, until you have a thick, blonde or dark blond paste/roux.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Slowly whisk the chicken broth into the roux until you have a sauce. Let simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to gravy consistency, 5-10 minutes.
- Once gravy is thickened, add the veggies and their juices back into the pan. Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt/pepper if you like.
- Add the chicken pieces back to the pan, nestling them into the gravy.
- Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low, maintaining a vigorous simmer, and cook 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped thyme or parsley if desired, then serve immediately with broiled broccoli (see below) and a carb to soak up all that delicious gravy!
- While the chicken cooks, make your broccolini.
BROILED BROCCOLINI INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your broiler on HIGH and position an oven rack directly underneath your broiler, but far enough below it so that the broccolini won’t touch the flame.
- Spread broccolini in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle broccolini with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with generous pinches of salt, ground black pepper, and onion powder. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.
- Use your hands to mix all ingredients together, then arrange the broccolini in a single file “line” down the length of the baking sheet.
- Once the broiler is ready, carefully slide the baking sheet vertically onto the oven rack, positioning the broccolini "line" directly under the flame.
- Broil 3-4 minutes, or until broccolini is nicely charred and stems have slightly softened. Serve immediately with Smothered Chicken.
