Chicken Delight Recipe

Prepare and marinate chicken

Slice the chicken breasts into 1/2" strips. In a bowl, combine 1 tbs olive oil, minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate 10–15 minutes at room temperature (or up to 1 hour refrigerated).

Prep vegetables

While chicken marinates, slice the peppers into 1/2" strips, thinly slice the onion and slice the mushrooms. Measure out thyme.

Sauté vegetables

Heat 1 tbs butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add the peppers and cook 3–4 minutes until slightly softened. Add the mushrooms and thyme and sauté another 3–4 minutes until mushrooms release liquid and everything is tender. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove vegetables from the skillet to a plate and set aside.

Cook chicken strips

Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add a little oil if needed. Add marinated chicken strips in a single layer (cook in two batches if necessary). Sear without moving for 1–2 minutes until browned, then stir and cook another 1–2 minutes until cooked through (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C). Remove chicken to the plate with vegetables.

Deglaze and build sauce

Lower heat to medium. Add the 1/4 cup chicken stock to the hot skillet to deglaze, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in heavy cream and Dijon mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Melt blue cheese

Add the crumbled blue cheese to the cream mixture, stirring until it melts into a smooth sauce. If the sauce seems thin, mix 1/2 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water to make a slurry and stir it into the simmering sauce; cook 1–2 minutes until thickened. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp lemon juice if using.

Combine chicken and vegetables

Return the cooked chicken and sautéed vegetables to the skillet, tossing to coat everything evenly with the blue cheese sauce. Heat together 1–2 minutes until everything is warmed through and the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Spoon the cooked rice onto serving plates. Divide the chicken, vegetables and blue cheese sauce over the rice. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a final crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.