Thanksgiving Chicken Breasts

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You don’t need to have Turkey on Thanksgiving. You really don’t, I promise. Most of the time I think turkey tastes like chicken anyway. Especially because college students are limited on funds and kitchen space, I don’t expect any college student to roast a whole turkey. Opt for chicken breasts instead. Or, to make it even easier, opt for a pre-made rotisserie chicken.

Click here for the recipe for ‘Thanksgiving Chicken Breasts’

These chicken breasts I’ve come up with have the flavors of Thanksgiving oozing through the dish. Flavors of sage and butter are prominent, and garlic and white wine wrap everything up in a nice cozy little package. This dish is completely foolproof and is a great substitute for the unruly turkey that can often be a hassle. White wine can be omitted, especially for the underage college students in the dorms. There’s no need to get kicked out of the dorms because you wanted to cook with white wine now, ok?

Here’s what you need:
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Boneless skinless chicken breasts, garlic, butter, poultry seasoning and sage, flour, chicken broth, and white wine.

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In a bowl, combine flour with the sage and poultry seasoning.

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Toss in the pepper and salt.

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Those are pretty colors. Mix til combined.

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Coat the chicken breasts in the flour and shake off all the excess flour.

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Tap the chicken breasts to remove the excess flour.

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Nice! Don’t discard the excess flour just yet. We’re gonna need three tablespoons of it later on in the recipe.

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In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add some olive oil.

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Add the coated chicken breasts in one single layer in the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan!

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Cook the first side for about 5 minutes, just until it’s brown like that. Do it with the other side, too. The chicken won’t be fully cooked inside — we’ll finish cooking it in a bit. Transfer the browned chicken breasts to a plate and set aside.

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Let’s deglaze the pan with some white wine. If you don’t want to use wine, just omit this step and add some chicken broth instead.

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Add the chopped garlic, too!

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Scrape off all the bits stuck to the pan. That’s where the flavor’s at. Cook the garlic for just one minute. Don’t let all the wine evaporate!

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Add some butter and flour. This is the same flour mix we used to coat the chicken with. We’re making a roux — aka a paste that’ll make a yummy sauce.

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Stir it all around.

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Add some chicken broth..

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And mix it all around so the flour dissolves.

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Transfer the chicken back into the sauce.

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And cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Let the chicken relax a little bit in the pan to continue cooking.

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After about 5 minutes, the sauce will have thickened and the chicken is just almost ready!

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Check the chicken for doneness. Grab a small knife and cut through the chicken. No pink juices should escape the chicken breasts. Juices should run clear — that’s when you know they’re fully cooked.

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Adjust the sauce for seasoning by adding a little more salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, if you want. This is one delicious substitute for Turkey, let me tell you.

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Thanksgiving Chicken Breasts

Total time: 25 minutes
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 22 minutes
Yield: about 8 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon powdered sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup white wine
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
In a medium-sized bowl, add flour, sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper and combine. Coat chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess flour. Set flour mixture aside for use later.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add chicken breasts to pan in one even layer, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook first side for about 5 minutes, until chicken is golden. Flip chicken over and cook other side until lightly golden. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to a plate.

Add wine to pan and use wooden spoon scrape brown bits off pan. Add garlic and allow wine and garlic to cook for 1 minute. Add butter and 3 tablespoons of flour mixture and mix to make paste. After about 1 minute, add chicken broth and whisk vigorously to dissolve paste. Transfer chicken back in, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cover with lid. Allow chicken to cook fully, about another 5 to 8 minutes, and allow sauce to thicken. Use a small knife to cut into chicken and check for doneness. Adjust for seasoning, if necessary, by adding additional salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING (1/8 of recipe): Calories 266, Fat 7grams, Total Carb. 7grams, Protein 38grams
(nutritional facts are an approximation and may vary slightly for each individual, depending on brands and ingredients used)

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