Seared Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Herbed Pan Sauce

I love dinners that taste more decadent than they really are.

This one is one of those. Seared chicken is topped with a creamy, flavorful sauce and along with the smashed potatoes, makes a really good, quick dinner for the whole family. I drizzled my potatoes with the sauce too and it was really good. You can use any potatoes for this dish… I went a little crazy and bought a mix of red, yellow, white and blue potatoes. They looked so pretty whole and uncooked in my basket. I boiled them and smashed them with their skins on and got what looked like blue mush. Check out the picture and you can see the blues mixed in. Not so pretty. It still tasted wonderful and once my kids got past the “why are my potatoes blue” thing, they really liked it too. I suggest if you are making roasted potatoes, go for the colorful variety, if you are making mashed, not so much.

Whatever potato you go with, this is sure to be a hit with your family. Enjoy!

Seared Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Herbed Pan Sauce

1 1/2 lb small potatoes (any variety)
4 garlic cloves, divided
1 tblsp butter or margerine (I used brummel and brown spread)
Salt and Pepper
1 tblsp olive oil
4 – 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups sour cream (I did use regular but light is fine too)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tblsp dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Place the potatoes and 2 of the whole garlic cloves in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork tender, about 15-18 minutes. Drain reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Put potatoes in serving bowl. Add butter and fold in until melted. Add 1/4 cup of cooking water (or you can use skim milk) and smash. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add more cooking water or milk until the potatoes are a consistency of your liking. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper if needed.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. When the skillet is very hot, but the oil is not scorching, add chicken and cook until cooked through and golden brown about 6-8 minutes per side.
Remove chicken when done cooking. Mince last two garlic cloves and add to skillet along with onions. Cook one minute. Add wine and and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream, mustard, thyme and more salt and pepper. Serve chicken over potatoes with sauce spooned over it. Top with parsley.