Chicken & Creamy Garlic Shells

Chicken and pasta is a great combo for a #weeknightdinner. It’s simple to put together and will definitely not put a dent in the family food budget. This recipe for Chicken & Creamy Garlic Shells is really easy to make and can be on the table in 30 minutes (if you remember to marinate the chicken the night before or in the morning before heading out for the day).

Why is the marinating of the chicken so important? Chicken breast has a tendency to dry out when you pan fry it. Mostly because there isn’t really a sauce to hold the moisture in. By letting the chicken absorb the delicious flavors of this simple but flavorful marinade, you insure that it will come out moist and tender. Another way to make sure that you do not over cook it. You want to remove it from the heat as soon as it’s cooked through. The best way to do this is to check it with a meat thermometer. For chicken you want to test the thickest part of the thickest piece and make sure that it reads a full 165degF.

Obviously, I used pasta shells for this recipe, because its in the name. But really you can use any short pasta. Ever wonder what the difference is between short and long pasta? Well in the culinary word it is fairly simple – can you stab it or do you twirl it? Short pastas are ones that you stab with a fork to eat and long pastas are ones that you twirl around a fork.

I nicely toasted piece of bread is a great side for this dish. If you want to add in some veggies, I would suggest some steamed broccoli on the side. Alternatively, you could also serve up a simple green salad. While it’s important to get your vegetables in, I have learned that the best way to get kids to eat them when they are served is to not serve them with EVERY SINGLE MEAL! That way they don’t feel like they are always having to eat something they don’t want to eat every time they have dinner. That’s just something I’ve picked up from almost 20 years of making food for my kiddos.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Chicken & Creamy Garlic Shells

A smooth garlic cream sauce over shells with a delicious marinated chicken breast

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Chicken, chicken breast, cream sauce, Garlic, garlic sauce, grilled chicken, lmarinated steak, marinated chicken, Pasta, pasta side dish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Equipment

• 1 Grill Pan

Ingredients

• 1 lb Small Shells
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 3 tsp Garlic Powder divided
• 4 tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cup Broth chicken or vegetable
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 tbsp Parsley Flakes

For the Chicken

• 6 Chicken Breasts
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• ¼ cup Avocado Oil

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Add ingredients for the chicken to a gallon sized zipper bag. Let marinate at least 30 minutes (up to overnight)
• Start water boiling for the pasta.
• In a stove top grill pan (or frying pan), over medium high heat, add marinated chicken breasts. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium and cover pan. Let cook another 10 minutes (or until thickest part of chicken reaches 165degF internally).
• In a sauce pan over medium heat, add oil, butter and two teaspoons of garlic powder. Once melted whisk in flour. Let cook for 3 minutes then whisk in broth, and salt. Cook another 3 minutes and whisk in heavy cream. Let cook another 3 minutes.
• Add pasta to boiling water and cook as directed on the package. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water. Return to pot away from heat.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir in remaining garlic powder, and parsley. Pour over cooked pasta and stir to evenly coat.
• Serve portion of pasta with grilled chicken.