One Skillet Creamy Chicken Quinoa
I do lots of meal prepping and planning, freezer cooking, Crock pot dump meals, and cooking in my Instant Pot BUT, I also love the ease of skillet meals. Quick fresh meals that are easy to prepare and a snap to clean up. This One Skillet Creamy Chicken Quinoa is one of those meals.
Hearty enough to be a fall or winter dinner, with some warm bread and a steamed or roasted vegetable or light enough to serve in the summer with some cut raw vegetables or a nice salad. Choose what your family enjoys.
What’s in One Skillet Cream Chicken Quinoa?
Some very basic ingredients come together to make a really rich and comforting meal.
- Chicken Breast, (or thigh)
- Frozen Peas
- Cream Cheese and Parmesan Cheese
- Half & Half
- garlic and onion powder, salt & pepper
What to serve with One Skillet Creamy Chicken Quinoa?
When I meal plan I often forget to decide what I’m going to serve as a side dish. This dish includes peas already, but I like to have a more balanced plate. Even though I love casserole and skillet meals, I always want a “real” side to round out the protein/carb. Here are a few recipes that would work well with this Creamy Chicken Quinoa.
Garlic Thyme Squash Au Gratin, a delicious one skillet side dish. Sweet Fall Squash, with a cheesy sauce and crisp Panko topping this is sure to become a family favourite.
Recipe By: Kylee Cooks
This 30 minute oven roasted broccoli has a caramelized nutty flavour with a crisp texture. Serve plain or add seasonings of your choice to go with dinner. This easy to prepare side dish is prepared on a single sheet pan so it’s also super easy to clean up.
Recipe By: A Smack of Flavour
One-Skillet Creamy Chicken Quinoa with Peas
Ingredients
- 4 thick-cut slices bacon diced small
- 1 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
- ½ t. onion powder
- ½ t. garlic powder
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 c. white quinoa rinsed and drained
- 2 c. chicken broth preferably organic
- 1½ c. frozen peas
- ¼ c. half & half
- 4 oz. cream cheese cut into chunks
- ½ c. Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ½ c. fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add bacon to a large, high-sided skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully drain excess bacon grease from skillet.
- Return skillet to medium heat and add sliced chicken, onion powder, and garlic powder. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken starts to develop some color, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the quinoa and chicken broth and stir to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, and then immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the chicken and quinoa are cooked through, approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Uncover and stir in frozen peas, half & half, cream cheese, and half of the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Cover and let sit for another minute or two or until the cheese is completely melted.
- Remove cover and stir in fresh parsley. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, and serve immediately with remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
