You can skip the Olive Garden tonight, folks. Creamy Tuscan Chicken is a delicious, take out-inspired meal that you can make in under 30 minutes right at home.
YOU’RE WELCOME.
Why is Creamy Tuscan Chicken the book-inspired recipe for The Art of Burning Heather?
The Art of Burning Heather takes place (mostly) in the Scottish Highlands. So I bet you’re surprised to see an Italian-American dish as the book-inspired recipe for this novel.
Um, same.
Although traditional Scottish cuisine has come a long way since haggis, it still leaves a lot to be desired. So while I was surprised at this book-inspired recipe, I wasn’t necessarily disappointed.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken plays a pivotal role in The Art of Burning Heather. It’s the basis for one of the few good childhood memories that main character Deli has of her grandmother, Rosemary.
And – and – Creamy Tuscan Chicken is the heartbreaking catalyst for why Deli abandons her life in L.A. and hops on a plane to Scotland in the first place.
What I love about Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Despite my earlier Olive Garden reference, I am not an Olive Garden fan. I’m from North Jersey, where we have real Italian restaurants. (Don’t come at me.)
Although I’ve deigned to dine at Olive Garden at the request of out-of-town friends (who I love and pity in equal measure), it’s never my first choice for Italian food.
That said – I freakin’ love this Creamy Tuscan Chicken, which is a knock-off of Tuscan Garlic Chicken from Olive Garden.
My friend made a version of this dish when we stayed at her house last year. I helped myself to seconds, and thirds. I contemplated fourths but didn’t want to appear rude.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken is pan-seared chicken cutlets, swimming in a flavorful sauce made with heavy cream, chicken broth, Italian seasonings, and Pecorino Romano cheese.
You make the sauce in the same skillet as the chicken, so you get all those delicious savory drippings from the seared chicken in there.
Then you add in some fresh baby spinach and sliced sundried tomatoes. For health. And color. All that good stuff.
It’s a hearty, satisfying, and slightly indulgent meal that takes very little time to make. Much less time than if you were to go to a restaurant, sit down, order, and wait for someone to bring you dinner.
Holy garlic, Batman!
Did you feel the earth move? No, it’s not another NJ earthquake. *rolls eyes*
I just used garlic in a book-inspired recipe. Garlic powder, to be precise.
Longtime Tartlets know that I rarely use garlic in my recipes. But I have to admit — the garlic makes this dish. Creamy Tuscan Chicken isn’t the same without it.
The creamy sauce contains about 3 tsp of garlic powder, which is a lot for me. I went to Zumba the evening I made this recipe, and I was pretty embarrassed about my breath situation everytime I panted and gasped for breath between songs.
But, for those of you who regularly cook with garlic, this should be a decent amount. It’s enough to invoke the quintessential flavor of Tuscan Garlic Chicken without overpowering the other flavors of the dish.
You may even want to add more garlic – but taste the sauce first.
What do you serve with Creamy Tuscan Chicken?
I love spooning the chicken and cream sauce over a mountain of chickpea pasta or “regular” pasta. Creamy Tuscan Chicken also works well with mashed potatoes, Lemon Spinach Basmati Rice, farro, or any other starch that can soak up all that yummy sauce.
Great side dishes for Creamy Tuscan Chicken are Broiled Broccolini and Tomato, Corn, and Basil Salad.
For dessert, serve up some Italian-inspired desserts like Anisette Cookies, Italian Lemon Sprinkle Cookies, or Pignoli Cookies.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes cut into thin slices
- 1 ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- ¼ tsp ground thyme
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- 3 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb thinly sliced chicken cutlets
- salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, to taste (for the chicken cutlets)
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp cold water
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice the sundried tomatoes and set aside.
- Grate the Pecorino Romano cheese and set aside.
- Combine basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and garlic powder in a small bowl and mix together. Set aside.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Set aside.
- Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt, ground black pepper, and onion powder to taste.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken cutlets on one side until golden-brown, 3-4 minutes.** Flip and sear on the other side, 2-3 minutes. At this point, the chicken should be mostly cooked through. Remove the cutlets to a plate. Keep warm.
- Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium. Stir in the chicken broth, deglazing the pan as you go. Stir in the heavy cream, spice mix, and grated cheese. Heat the cream sauce until thickened and lightly simmering, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and sundried tomatoes. Cook 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and let cook 1-2 minutes, until thickened.
- Taste sauce; add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
- Transfer the chicken back into the skillet. Cover chicken with sauce and let warm through/finish cooking.
- Serve Creamy Tuscan Chicken immediately over pasta, chickpea pasta, rice, farro, or other starch.
