BUST LOOSE
Forget those boring dinners — help boneless, skinless chicken breast be all it can be
When you need to turn out a fast, tasty and healthful weeknight dinner, it ought to be so easy to reach for skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
They cook quickly, you can do endless things with them and while they cost a little more than other cuts, what you get is all meat, no waste.
Except for the downsides: Skinless, boneless chicken breasts can be boring. If you overcook them, you end up sawing away at a plank of compressed leather. With no bone or skin, you don’t get much to carry flavor, either. (Yes, I know — you could cook a skin-on breast and throw away the golden, crispy skin, but let’s face it: It’s golden, crispy skin. Who has the willpower to resist that?)
I decided to hit the kitchen with a big tray of naked breasts and figure out what really makes a difference in turning them into fantastic weeknight dinners.
I tasted several cooking methods, and came up with five dishes that use things you either have on hand or can grab in a supermarket on the way home — and still have a shopping basket light enough to use the speed lane.
CREAMY BALSAMIC SKILLET CHICKEN
4 servings
1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 small yellow onion, sliced 2 to 3 cloves minced garlic (or about ½ teaspoon bottled minced garlic)
8 ounces mushrooms (stem ends trimmed), quartered ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
½ cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup heavy cream 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
Cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 strips, then cut each strip in two. Cover with plastic wrap and pound lightly, to make small cutlets. Set aside.
In a wide skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
Combine the flour, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper on a plate. Dip each piece of chicken and place in the skillet with the onions and garlic. Cook, turning occasionally, until just a little golden and browned but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
Add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar to the pan, then add the mushrooms and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits and turning the mushrooms. Cook 2 or 3 minutes.
Add the cream, then return all the chicken pieces to the pan, turning to coat with the sauce. Simmer about 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens a little. Sprinkle with the thyme and serve.
— From “The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook,” by Mary Younkin
(Page Street, 2016) CHICKEN WITH GOAT CHEESE VINAIGRETTE AND PASTA 4 servings
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon butter About 6 ounces uncooked penne pasta
¼ cup chopped fresh flatleaf parsley leaves
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 ounces (½ cup) crumbled fresh goat cheese
About 1 cup small tomatoes (grape or cherry), halved or quartered
Place the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a kitchen mallet to flatten the thick end and create an even thickness. Pat dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta, stirring so it doesn’t stick, and cook as directed, about 10 to 11 minutes, and drain.
While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Place the chicken in the skillet, smooth side down, and cook about 9 minutes, until golden underneath. Turn the chicken and spread the tomatoes around the skillet. Continue cooking, turning the tomatoes occasionally, about 6 minutes or until the chicken is done.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ⅓ cup olive oil, parsley and pepper flakes. Fold in the crumbled goat cheese.
Divide between plates. Top each serving with a chicken breast and some of the tomatoes. Drizzle the goat cheese dressing over the chicken and serve.