chicken and cauliflower

This Creamy Chicken and Cauliflower recipe features diced bacon, fresh cauliflower, and baby spinach with a creamy Parmesan sauce.

Creamy Chicken and Cauliflower

thick cut bacon, (diced)

boneless, skinless, chicken thighs

salt and pepper, (to taste)

onion powder

garlic powder

paprika

butter

baby spinach

garlic, (minced)

chicken broth

heavy whipping cream

Parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh parsley, (for garnish)

Place cauliflower florets in a cooking pot and cover with cold water; set over high heat and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until cauliflower is fork tender, and not mushy.

Drain the cauliflower and run it under cold water to stop it from cooking further. Season the florets with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In the meantime, set a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and heat up the skillet.

Add diced bacon to the hot skillet and cook for about 4 minutes, or until crispy, stirring frequently.

Remove bacon pieces from the skillet and set aside on a plate. DO NOT drain the bacon grease.

Set skillet back over medium-high heat; add butter and let it melt.

Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, dried rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.

Add chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.

Flip over and cook for 6 to 8 more minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken and transfer to a plate; set aside.NOTE: Use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness; boneless chicken thighs are cooked through when internal temperature registers at 165˚F.

Return skillet to the burner and add in baby spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until wilted. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add garlic to the pan and cook for 20 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add chicken broth and stir the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Stir in cream and bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in parmesan cheese.

Add cooked cauliflower, spinach, and cooked chicken back to the skillet and cook for a minute or two, or until heated through. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.

Remove from heat.

Garnish with prepared bacon and parsley.

Serve.

Add roast cauliflower to chicken for the perfect partnership. Chunks of toasted sourdough take the place of potatoes here, soaking up all the roasting juices

Chicken with roasted cauliflower

chicken

cauliflowers

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

garlic

lemon thyme leaves

chicken stock cube

chicken stock

sourdough bread

tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 mins before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.

Lay the leafy stalks from the cauliflowers in a large roasting tray (to sit the chicken on). Set the cauliflower heads aside.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with the garlic, thyme and a little salt and pepper. Carefully insert your fingers under the skin of the chicken breasts and loosen the skin from the breasts. Push most of the olive oil mixture under the skin, spreading it over the breast meat with your fingers. Sit the chicken on the cauliflower stalks.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil mix over the chicken and rub it in well with your hands. Season with pepper and evenly crumble over the stock cube. Tightly cover the tray with foil. Cook for 1 hr 20 mins.

In the meantime, break the cauliflower heads into florets. Once the cooking time is up, take the tray out of the oven and remove the foil. Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. While it's coming up to temperature, add the cauliflower florets to the roasting tray and pour in the chicken stock.

Put the tray on the bottom shelf of the oven. Roast for 30-40 mins, or until the chicken is golden brown all over and the cauliflower is cooked. Halfway through the cooking time, baste the chicken with the juices and toss the cauliflower.

To make the toasted sourdough, scatter the pieces of sourdough on a small baking tray 20 mins before the end of the chicken cooking time. Drizzle with the olive oil and season. Put on the top shelf of the oven for 15-20 mins, or until golden brown.

Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the sourdough and mix well. Remove the chicken from the oven and leave to rest for 15 mins before carving. Serve the chicken with the roasted cauliflower, cauliflower stalks and toasted sourdough, spooning over the pan juices.

Creamy cauliflower chicken with chunky bacon lardons is an easy comfort food dinner. Delicious served with creamy mash to soak up the sauce.

Creamy cauliflower chicken

500 g (1lb) chicken breasts

bacon

onion (finely chopped)

garlic (crushed)

cauliflower (sliced into small florets)

thyme

cream

lemon juice

salt and pepper (to taste

Place chicken breasts in between two sheets of parchment paper and gently thin out with a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Drizzle with a little oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts then allow to cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside. 

the same pan, add the bacon and cook until crisp and golden. Remove and set aside.

Drain off the bacon fat, leaving 1-2 tablespoons behind.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until soft and fragrant.

Add the cauliflower florets and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, cream and lemon juice then season with salt and pepper.

Allow to simmer until the cauliflower is almost tender.

Add the chicken back to the pan along with any of its resting juices and allow to cook for another 5 minutes until the chicken is heated through and cooked throughout.

Serve with side dishes of your choice. 

Top 3 chicken and cauliflower recipes from across the web

The most viewed chicken and cauliflower recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Creamy Chicken and Cauliflower

Chicken with roasted cauliflower

Creamy cauliflower chicken

Top 3 chicken and cauliflower recipes from across the web

The most viewed chicken and cauliflower recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Creamy Chicken and Cauliflower

Chicken with roasted cauliflower

Creamy cauliflower chicken

The most viewed chicken and cauliflower recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine