Thirty Minute Thursdays: Lazy Balsamic Chicken Skillet with Simple Side Salad

Monday night, the clouds opened up and released a down pouring of rain that must have been collecting during the weeks of intense humidity we had been experiencing. Tree limbs came down, drains overflowed, roads flooded, and I watched with bated breath as the time drew nearer and nearer to when I would have to get in my car and brave Mother Nature for a visit to L’s that I had promised. In the end, though, despite all of the trouble the rain caused, it was welcomed with open arms by everyone I spoke to. The humidity evaporated, the cracked ground perked up just a little bit, and everyone was relieved.

It also provided the perfect night for a little comfort food amidst all of the salads and cold cuts we had all been craving during the heat wave. My mom made a delicious batch of turkey chili, but I think this lazy chicken skillet that I made a few weeks ago as part of my Thirty Minute Thursday challenge would have also been perfect. It’s a one-pot dish, and completely delicious and comforting. I served it with a simple side salad, just to add a few more veggies and round out the more filling main course.

Rachael Ray calls this her Sister Ria’s Lazy Chicken, or her Lazy Sister Ria’s Chicken, but because I don’t know Ria I thought I'd keep it simple and call it a Lazy Chicken Skillet. If you’re trying to impress a slightly more mature crowd, though, you could call it a balsamic chicken potato casserole, or an Italian Chicken Skillet, or something even catchier that you think up.

Lazy Chicken Skillet, courtesy of Rachael Ray’s Classic 30 Minute Meals
Yield: 6 servings

The Ingredients
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
balsamic vinegar, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium white-skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup chicken broth
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
10 leaves fresh basil, torn
2 sprigs fresh or 2 teaspoons dry oregano
½ - 2/3 cup shredded Italian cheese of choice

10 ounces mixed greens
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

The Method
Rub the balsamic vinegar onto each side of each chicken breast while you heat 1 tablespoon oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 2 minutes per side; remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and arrange a thin layer of potatoes and onion in it. Season with pepper and allow the potatoes and onions to cook, turning occasionally without disrupting the single layer, until the mixture has started to brown. Add the browth to the pan and then spread another thin layer of zucchini on top of the potatoes and onions, seasoning again with pepper. Top with the chicken breasts, crushed tomatoes, and chopped herbs. Cover, cooking until the chicken has cooked through and the potatoes are tender, around 10-12 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the salad by tossing the washed greens with the balsamic and oil to coat. Set aside while you finish with the chicken. Sprinkle the cheese over the skillet evenly and place the skillet under the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese, only about 1 minute. Serve directly in the pan, with salad on the side.


I’m actually writing this post on Wednesday night to post Thursday morning, because come 9am on Thursday I will be off to the beach! If I remember correctly, the house L and I will be staying at won’t have internet access, so I wanted to make sure I got my Thirty Minute Thursday and one last post in before I left. We have some pretty fantastic meals planned out (including the unsurpassed Jersey Shore staple, Mack-n-Manco’s for lunch), so I’m sure you’ll be hearing about those once I return. I also have a whole lot of baking up my sleeve over the next few weeks, including my first cookie cake, a batch of white chocolate sorbet with blueberry swirl, and a chocolate cake made with quinoa – so exciting! What foods are you looking forward to over this next week?




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