A cozy, homey meal that reminds me of my childhood. So, I love it for reasons both nostalgic and for the deliciousness of it all. This Cheesy Mushroom & Herb Skillet Chicken with Mashed Potatoes is a copycat rendition of a delivery service meal I had once, and knew I could make it even better myself (sorry, not sorry). It’s an easy 30-minute meal that I make versions of pretty regularly. The starchy, stock-filled cooking liquid helps make for super creamy and flavorful mashed potatoes and it also helps create a great sauce for the chicken. A favorite MKL trick for sure.

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What to serve alongside this Creamy Mushroom and Herb Chicken

I’ve got my favorite hot honey buttered carrots pictured here, because I love the sweet/spicy pop they add to the very savory plate of food. But here are a few other easy side dishes that would jive perfectly with this chicken:

What you’ll need to make this Cheesy Mushroom & Herb Skillet Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

Basic, humble ingredients come together in a snap here, forming a totally homey, classic-feeling dinner that is just so dang lovable. You could sub in buttermilk for the sour cream in the potatoes, for a lighter spin, and you can absolutely use boneless skinless chicken thighs, instead.

INGREDIENTS

30 to 40 ounces gold potatoes, peeled if you want and roughly diced (see note)

32-ounce container chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup sour cream, divided

6 tablespoons butter, divided

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning blend

Olive oil, as needed/directed

16 ounces sliced mushrooms (any kind/mix you like)

4 scallions/green onions, chopped, whites and green parts separated

½ to ⅔ cup dry white white or sherry

How to make this Creamy Mushroom & Herb Skillet Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

This simple, unassuming little recipe comes complete with several tricks that make it cooler than meets the eye. Best though, is the way we’ll utilize flavorful chicken stock to cook the potatoes, and then we’ll reserve some of that post-boiling, to then re-use in the mashing portion of the program. That inherent starchiness from the potatoes makes for the creamiest mashed potatoes ever, without really having to use any cream at all.

That said, I do love some butter and sour cream in my mashers. If you want to lighten things up a bit, though, swap healthy buttermilk in for the sour cream.

Mashed Potatoes DIRECTIONS

Put the potatoes in a small-to-medium sized pot and add chicken stock to cover. If they’re not totally submerged, you can supplement with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt (you want it salty like the sea). Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender; about 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and reserve 2 cups of the starchy, salty cooking liquid (we’ll use this in two ways!).

Put the drained potatoes back in the pot, add 1 cup of that cooking liquid to the pot, along with half of the sour cream, half of the butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Using a potato masher or another suitable implement, mash the potatoes until nice and creamy – to your liking. Hold over low heat, covered, until ready to serve.

Chicken DIRECTIONS

Half the chicken breasts crossways, creating cutlets (as opposed to lengthwise, which would create tenders). Place them flat on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap (optional), and pound to half their original thickness (use a meat mallet, your fist, or anything that seems reasonable here). Season with salt and pepper and the Italian seasoning.

Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken on both sides until brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Don’t wipe out the skillet, and reduce the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms and scallion whites and saute for 5 minutes to tenderize. Deglaze with the wine and let it cook off for about a minute or two. Add the remaining cup of starchy potato cooking liquid, the remaining ½ cup sour cream, and remaining 3 TBSP butter. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and add the chicken back into the pan.

Cover evenly with the with the shredded cheese and put the lid on, allowing it to melt for a minute and for the chicken to warm through. Serve the chicken over the mashed potatoes, covered in the sauce and topped with the scallion greens.

NOTE: For four-ish servings of mashed potatoes, I purchase a 48-ounce bag of gold potatoes and use about ⅔ of it, typically. The amount does not have to be exact for them to turn out well. I fill a small-to-medium pot about ⅔ of the way with largely diced potatoes and then add water just to cover.