Chicken with Creamy Feta Sauce

I just realized that it’s been MONTHS since I brought you a main dish recipe, which is crazy!  So making up for that now with an insanely easy and super delish entree that is great for dinner as well as to pack in your lunch for work all week.

(Confession: I made this recipe Sunday evening so I could have awesome, healthy lunches all week long.  And then I ordered Chinese takeout for dinner that night, because I was going to be healthy all week.  Does anyone else do that?)

Don’t be scared by the idea of a feta cheese sauce—it doesn’t taste overwhelmingly of feta specifically, but rather contributes a super creamy, slightly salty, weirdly comforting flavor without owning it.  I’m not the biggest fan of feta, but I am a BIG fan of this sauce.

Season the chicken breasts or tenderloins with salt, pepper, and a light sprinkling of smoked (or regular) paprika, and drizzle with olive oil.  One tip is to brine the chicken breasts ahead of time to make them even more moist and flavorful—here’s a post on how to brine chicken breasts.

Cook your chicken however you’d like.  I used tenderloins and baked them at 400 F for 20 minutes.  You can also cook in a skillet or grill.

While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.  Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it bubbles slightly, then add the flour and whisk constantly for one minute.

Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, until all the milk is incorporated and you’ve whisked the lumps out.

Stir in the chives and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.

Finally, add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted…which was weirdly hard with this bigger chunks of feta.

Mmmmmm, melty cheesy sauce!

Serve the chicken with the sauce over it, and garnish with more chives if desired.  This makes amazing leftovers—I’ve been eating it for lunch at work all week!

Chicken with Feta Cheese Sauce

Note, the original recipe called for 1 pound of chicken, but I made over two pounds and I still had TONS of sauce (so just be warned)

• 1-2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
• Olive oil
• Fresh ground salt and pepper, smoked (or regular) paprika
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 4 teaspoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 12-ounce can of evaporated milk
• 2-3 tablespoons of fresh chives, chopped
• 1 cup of feta cheese

1. Season the chicken breasts or tenderloins with salt, pepper, and a light sprinkling of smoked (or regular) paprika, and drizzle with olive oil.
2. Cook your chicken—it’s dealer’s choice on how. I baked my tenderloins at 400 F for 20 minutes.  You can also cook in a skillet or grill.
3. When the chicken is about done, make the sauce.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it bubbles slightly.
4. Add the flour and whisk constantly for one minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, until all the milk is incorporated.
5. Stir in the chives and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.

Original recipe here