Chicken with Smashed Broc-o-tatoes & Gouda Gravy

Tonight I tried out a recipe from my Rachael Ray Yum-O cookbook for chicken with smashed broc-o-tatoes and gouda gravy. I had some broccoli and some gouda cheese to use up, so this sounded perfect. It was so good! Kevin and I both really liked it. Carson ate some, but he's not a fan of mashed potatoes. I had to disguise some with yogurt to get him to eat a good amount of the potatoes. I love Rachael Ray's smashed potato concoctions - always lots of veggies in the potatoes, which to me is so very good! I made a half-recipe for the chicken and a whole recipe for the potatoes so that I have some for lunches this week. This is definitely a keeper, although the gouda gravy isn't entirely necessary, so I'll probably skip that next time.


No-Thyme Quick Chicken with Smashed Broc-o-tatoes and Gouda Gravy

4 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 6-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used dried)
2 Tablespoons EVOO
1 head of broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock (I used homemade/canned)
1 1/2 cups milk or half-and-half (I used 1/2%)
1 1/2 cups shredded gouda cheese (I used smoked gouda)

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, salt the water, reduce heat a bit, and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Heads up: about half-way through, you will add the broccoli, so be sure the pot is large enough.

Season the chicken with thyme, salt, and pepper. Heat the EVOO in a skillet and cook the chicken for about 6 minutes on each side.

Add the broccoli to the potatoes and cook for about 6 minutes.

Heat the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour into the melted butter and cook for 1 minute. Then whisk in the stock and 1-cup of the milk. Thick for 2-3 minutes, season the sauce with salt and pepper, then stir in cheese for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Drain the broccoli and potatoes and return to the hot pot to dry out a bit. Mash the broccoli and potatoes together, using the remaining milk to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4