I’ve accomplished something huge tonight.

Drumroll, please.

I made a one pan dinner. A concept that, until tonight, has evaded me. You can ask anyone who has stepped foot in my kitchen while I’m cooking; I have a knack for using almost every pan, bowl, and cutting board I own just to cook dinner. We have a deal in our house that I cook, and the Mr. does the dishes. Poor guy. You should see his face when he comes in the kitchen after dinner most nights.

BUT, I fought the urge to dirty unnecessary dishes tonight and made my first ever truly one pan meal.

And let me tell you, it’s a winner.

Golden chicken breast and crisp asparagus smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce? All for under 300 calories? Yes please.

Let’s talk about an important concept in cooking: seasoning as you go. The depth of flavor that your dish has depends on it.

When I’m cooking, I taste everything. (Except for raw meat, because, duh.) I season every aspect of a dish as it’s added to the pan. It keeps things from being too one-note and adds layers of flavor that don’t develop otherwise. This is why I add “salt and pepper, to taste” to every recipe. I don’t believe in measuring most things, but especially not salt and pepper. You won’t know how much to add unless you taste!

Seasoning as you go is key in tonight’s one pan wonder. It’s a little bit more work for you, but you won’t regret it, I promise.

Bon appétit!

One Pan Chicken and Asparagus with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets (or 2 chicken breast sliced in half horizontally)

1/2 lb thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed off

1 8 oz. container of baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp. fresh thyme (leaves only), roughly chopped

1/2 medium onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tbsp)

1 cup chicken broth

4 oz reduced fat cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season the chicken breast cutlets on both sides with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of the chopped thyme. Add to the pan.
3. Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165°.
4. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Do not wipe the pan out!
5. Add onions to the pan and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to become translucent. Stir frequently to keep them from getting too brown.
6. Add garlic to the pan and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
7. Add sliced mushrooms to pan. Season with the remaining thyme and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
8. When mushrooms begin to soften, reduce heat to medium-low and add 1/4 cup chicken broth. Stir and scrape all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
9. Allow the mushrooms and chicken broth to simmer for 3-4 minutes, and move the mixture to one side of the pan.
10. In the other half of the pan, add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender. Depending on the thickness of the asparagus, it should take 3-5 minutes. Move the cooked asparagus to the plate with the cooked chicken.
11. Add the remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth to the pan. Allow to simmer 3-4 minutes.
12. Add milk and cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese has melted. Allow to simmer 2-3 minutes or until sauce has thickened .
13. Add chicken and asparagus back to the pan.
14. Serve and enjoy!