I have always loved my Ukrainian heritage. Many recipes have been passed down from my great grandparents to me, and I am forever grateful that I get to experience the authentic cuisine my background has to offer. As many would know, what makes Ukrainian food so divine is the copious amounts of butter, garlic, and of course, cream. As I began to cook more, I incorporated a lot of traditional flavours with new ones that I have found online. For this particular recipe, I have taken inspiration from a garlic parmesan sauce that I found on an app called Yummly and added a little twist of my own. This recipe is perfect for a Sunday night comfort food dinner or to make for friends and family who visit. The delicious flavour of the garlic cream sauce pairs especially well with the parsley, spinach, and thyme in this recipe. The best part is that it is easy to mix other vegetables and herbs to create the perfect dish for you. This recipe only takes an hour to make and is also perfect to freeze for later.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: Six servings.

• 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on. (You can also use chicken
breasts, but this recipe works better with thighs)
• 3 tbsp. salted butter
• 3.5 cups of baby spinach (chopped)
• 2 cups baby potatoes (quartered)
• 1 cup of baby carrots (sliced)
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley
• ¼ cup unsalted butter• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• ½ cup of whipping cream
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 400F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Season chicken with salt and pepper (I also like to add seasoning salt, Mrs. Dash, or Italian seasoning for extra flavour).

Grab a large skillet and melt two tablespoons of the salted butter over medium heat. Then add the seasoned chicken and sear all sides until golden brown. (This will take about three minutes on each side.) Set chicken aside on a separate plate.

Put the last tablespoon of salted butter in the skillet, add the spinach and stir until it is wilted (about three minutes). Set spinach aside on a separate plate.

Next, melt all of the unsalted butter in the same skillet. Add the garlic, and stir for about two to three minutes. Add flour and whisk together until flour turns brown.

Whisk in chicken broth, thyme, basil for about two minutes.

Add whipping cream and grated parmesan cheese, and stir until sauce becomes thick.

Grab your baking dish and add seared chicken to bottom. Then add in quartered potatoes, carrots and spinach. (Spread evenly). Then add cream sauce on top.

Place your baking dish into the oven, and bake until completely cooked through. (For chicken thighs, 30 minutes, for breasts about 35). If you have a meat thermometer, the internalized temperature for the chicken should be 165F.

Finally, top with fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve right away or freeze for later.

Enjoy!

This recipe has been enjoyed by many of my family members and is great to eat again for meals throughout the week. Change up the spices to season the chicken and try different cuts as well for different flavours!