Pan seared chicken breast with creamy Chestnut mushroom gravy and garlic roasted green beans

Serves 4 with large portions of beans and gravy! This would also be amazing with an addition of mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles… I’m pretty sure you are going to want to pour this Chestnut mushroom gravy over top pretty much everything! Leave off the chicken and just serve the green beans with the mushroom sauce for a delicious vegetarian dinner. Rich and comforting flavors for these cold winter nights.

For the Chestnut mushroom gravy:

8oz Chestnut mushrooms

1 stick of butter, divided

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large sprig of fresh thyme

1 cup heavy or light cream (not half and half)

Remove the mushrooms from remaining substrate so that they are all loose. 

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Melt half the stick of butter, then add the mushrooms to the pan, tossing to coat.  Sautee for 5-6 minutes, until the mushrooms wilt slightly, release their liquid, and just begin to brown.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme sprig, tossing gently to combine.  Add cream to the pan and bring to a simmer.  Turn down heat slightly, allowing the cream to barely simmer about 5 minutes or less, stirring frequently until the mixture is reduced to a gravy consistency.  Remove from heat as the sauce thickens quickly!  You can add a bit more cream to the pan if it thickens too much to your liking.

For the green beans:

1 pound green beans, rinsed and trimmed

2 Tablespoons avocado oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 450.  Toss green beans with oil on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until lightly browned, and crips tender, stirring occasionally- about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle beans with salt, pepper and the minced garlic.  Toss to combine.  Put back into the oven and roast for another 2 minutes or so until warmed through and tender to your liking.

 

For the chicken:

2 large chicken breasts, butterflied- or 4 small breasts

3 Tablespoons avocado oil

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon oregano

½ + 1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne

If your chicken breasts are larger, butterfly them to create 4 thinner chicken breasts.  Pat dry and brush them with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil.  In a small bowl, mix all the seasonings together.  Sprinkle over top, coating both sides of the chicken.  *Makes a fair amount of seasoning, you want the breasts to be well coated to create a blackening effect, but don’t feel the need to use every bit!

Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil to a large skillet, heating over medium-high heat.  Once, hot, add the chicken smooth side down and cook the chicken for 5 minutes.  Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Remove from heat and serve with the creamy mushroom sauce and green beans.