Chows Recipe Box

Creamy Tuscan Chicken (with Cottage Cheese)

A lighter take on creamy Tuscan chicken — cottage cheese replaces heavy cream for a protein-rich, velvety sauce.

Servings 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 0.5 teaspoons salt
• 0.3 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cups chicken stock
• 1 cups full-fat cottage cheese, blended smooth
• 0.5 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoons chili flakes
• 0.3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 0.3 teaspoons dried thyme
• 0.3 cups sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped

STEPS

1 Prep the cottage cheese: Before you start cooking, blend 1 cups full-fat cottage cheese, blended smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender until completely smooth. This replaces heavy cream and gives the sauce a creamy texture without lumps. Set aside.

2 Prep the chicken: Slice each chicken breast lengthwise into thin, flat cutlets (like opening a book, then cutting through). Sprinkle both sides with 0.5 teaspoons salt and 0.3 teaspoons ground black pepper, then coat each piece in 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour and shake off any excess.

3 Cook the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the chicken in a single layer — cook in batches if needed, don’t crowd the pan. Cook for 4–8 minutes 08:00 per side until golden brown and cooked through. Move the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

4 Build the sauce base: In the same skillet (don’t wipe it out — those browned bits add flavor), add 3 garlic cloves, minced and cook for about 1 minute 01:00 until fragrant. Pour in 1 cups chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

5 Add the creamy sauce: Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir in the blended 1 cups full-fat cottage cheese, blended smooth and 0.5 cups grated parmesan cheese. Let the sauce gently simmer for 2–3 minutes 03:00, stirring occasionally, until it starts to thicken. Then stir in 1 teaspoons chili flakes, 0.3 teaspoons dried oregano, and 0.3 teaspoons dried thyme. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

6 Finish the dish: Add 0.3 cups sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped and nestle the chicken back into the sauce. Let everything simmer together for another 3–4 minutes 04:00 until the sauce has thickened to your liking and the chicken is heated through.

7 Serve: Scatter 1 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped over the top and serve warm over pasta or rice.

NOTES

Cottage cheese tip: Full-fat cottage cheese blends smoothest and gives the richest result. Blend it completely before adding to the pan — if you add it unblended, the sauce will be lumpy. The sauce will be slightly lighter in color and a bit tangier than a cream-based version, but still rich and delicious.

Make it even smoother: If you want an ultra-silky sauce, strain the blended cottage cheese through a fine mesh sieve before using.

There you go! A few things worth highlighting about the substitution:

The most important step is blending the cottage cheese before it goes in the pan — skipping that is the most common mistake people make with this swap, and it results in a grainy, lumpy sauce. Once blended, it melts into the sauce beautifully. Full-fat cottage cheese is strongly recommended over low-fat here, as it blends smoother and behaves more like cream in the pan. You’ll also get a nice protein boost compared to the original recipe!