Chicken and Shallots with Cauliflower Mash

Published on in Recipes

Alright let’s get real. Comfort food is awesome, but sometimes you need to cook to impress. 

That’s where chicken and shallots comes in. 


It’s so fragrant and looks fancy shmancy and the best part is (don’t tell Adam Carolla because it drives him crazy but it’s SO EASY!) 

This is a rare recipe that I followed word for word. And not because I thought I was going to get killed by my Instant Pot (like the month before), but because this recipe is absolutely PERFECT the way it is. 

So let’s all give a big round of applause to alexandracooks.com and do what she says. She knows what she’s talking about!

Here are the main highlights:

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Melt butter in iron skillet (it’s important that it’s an iron skillet because you’re going to put the whole thing in the oven!)
  3. Once the butter froths, throw about a dozen halved shallots in the pan until they brown all deliciously. 
  4. Once that happens, coat the shallots with Dijon mustard and throw in a few sprigs of thyme or tarragon – whatever ya got! (Personally, I don’t think this is totally necessary but it does add a lovely flavor). 
  5. Add 2 cups of white wine (Nutritionist Vinnie Tortorich says it’s ok to cook with!) and let everything simmer. 
  6. Throw the raw chicken that you’ve seasoned with salt and pepper right into the pan! (You can use whatever chicken you want, but having done a few kinds, I enjoy the chicken thighs the most.) 
  7. Cook for just under an hour until chicken is nice and brown. 
  8. Serve chicken with PLENTY of delicious shallots and sauce on top!

Now onto the cauliflower mash…

There are TONS of recipes for this online, but here’s the one I use over and over. The taste is simple, the texture is nice and it compliments any main dish!

This recipe is compliments of delish.com. 

I follow it pretty closely but I add garlic powder, grated Parmesan and chives and  often double the recipe for big groups.  

The highlights:

Directions

  1. boil two bags of diced cauliflower (feel free to rice your own but the pre-riced is easy and it’s the perfect texture). 
  2. THIS STEP IS CRUCIAL SO LISTEN UP! After boiling the cauli, squeeze it out with cheesecloth. This veggie holds a LOT of water and you don’t want your mash runny! Do it in small batches and make sure not to burn your hand if the cauli is too hot! Ok. You’re welcome. 
  3. Fold in the cream cheese until everything is nice and blended (feel free to do it over a little heat on the stove if it needs to melt a bit.) 
  4. Toss in a splash of milk or cream while stirring. 
  5. I like to add grated Parmesan or cheddar while continuing to stir, stir, stir. 
  6. Salt and pepper to taste (which a little garlic and onion powder if you like). 
  7. Throw a dollop on the plate and serve with just about any meal!

4 Comments

  1. christi szrejter
    March 18, 2019 at 12:59 am

    So easy and so freaking delicious!!!

  2. Steven Smith
    April 15, 2019 at 4:35 pm

    Dear Gina-

    This was the first recipe I tried from here I have made this one several times; it is so delicious with complex flavors and aromas.

    I also made a variation with pork tenderloin and subbed in tarragon for the thyme. I love the braising method used here and how tender and flavorful the meat turns out to be.

    Great recipe, thank you for sharing this….its a favorite date night meal at our house.