By The literary magazine’s December issue went to the printer Friday afternoon with the silver bells recipe and the chocolate-shop profile across a four-page spread. The galleys had been clean — no last-minute edits, no missing-photo crises, no typesetting glitches. The issue mails to subscribers in two weeks. The chocolate-shop owner has emailed me twice asking if I’d be willing to consult on her own holiday-cookie program for next year, which is an interesting offer that I am thinking about.
Sunday I made parmesan chicken with artichoke hearts because the apartment had a jar of marinated artichoke hearts left over from a holiday-recipe test I’d done for an unrelated submission to a regional Tennessee magazine, and Dustin had asked specifically for a chicken-and-artichoke dinner this week.
The technique: four boneless skinless chicken thighs salted, dredged lightly in seasoned flour, seared in olive oil and butter for four minutes a side until deeply golden. Out to a plate. In the same pan, four cloves of garlic minced for thirty seconds, then a half-cup of dry white wine to deglaze, reduced for two minutes. A cup of low-sodium chicken broth, the juice and zest of one lemon, salt, pepper. One twelve-ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts drained and quartered, added to the pan. Simmer five minutes.
The chicken returned to the sauce. A cup of grated parmesan stirred in off the heat to create a creamy, glossy pan sauce that coats the chicken and the artichokes. A handful of fresh chopped parsley.
Plated over linguine with extra parmesan. The dish reads elegant in the way Italian-American chicken dishes read elegant when they hit the right balance of acid, fat, and aromatic. Dustin had two pieces of chicken. The leftovers fed me Monday and Tuesday.
Marinated artichoke hearts (the jarred kind). White wine reduction. Parmesan off-heat. Here’s the build.
Parmesan Chicken with Artichoke Hearts
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
- 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the olive oil and set aside.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Arrange them in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
- Make the topping. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 cup Parmesan, minced garlic, and onion powder until smooth and well combined.
- Add the artichokes. Scatter the chopped artichoke hearts evenly over and around the chicken breasts.
- Spread and top. Spoon the Parmesan mixture over each chicken breast, spreading it to cover the top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over everything.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, until the topping is golden and bubbly and the chicken registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Rest and serve. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and bring it to the table straight from the baking dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 410 | Protein: 42g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 620mg