We recently traveled to Philadelphia to see family and were greeted by freezing temperatures and snow! We are still warming up a week later and have been having lots of coffee, hot chocolate and warm meals, including our delicious Lemon Butter Chicken with Roasted Parmesan Asparagus.
Lemon + Butter = A beautiful Combination!
This chicken dish is simple to make but loaded with flavor. Lemon usually goes over quite well with my kiddos, and when combined with butter, it’s a guaranteed win.
Between the lemon, butter and broth, you are essentially creating a savory sauce for your chicken. While the chicken will absorb much of the sauce, you may have some leftover. Because our family was extra hungry, we made this dish with rice to absorb some of the extra sauce. You could also have egg noodles or any other pasta/grain/starch you like.
Note: If you truly want to complete this recipe in less than 30 minutes, it’s important to purchase thinly sliced chicken breasts. A thicker cut of chicken may prolong cooking.
Assemble Asparagus First
Since you are dealing with two separate dishes (i.e. the chicken and the asparagus), I recommend preheating the oven and assembling the asparagus as a first step. Then, once you have started the chicken, the oven should be ready for your asparagus and you can cook both dishes at the same time.
A little Crunch Goes a Long Way!
While asparagus isn’t technically in season, we can’t help but enjoy this favorite veggie of ours year-round. And we love the added crunch that the bread crumbs and cheese give to this asparagus side dish. It’s also incredibly simple to assemble. In fact, my daughter did most of the work on her own.
🌈 KIDIFY THE MEAL 🌈
Have picky eaters? Read More...
🍅Kids choose a side dish. Let your kids pick a starch/grain to add to the meal! We chose rice, but anything would work. Pasta, garlic bread, mashed potatoes (if you have extra time), quinoa, etc.
🍅Pull back on the spice! If you suspect the paprika will be too strong, decrease the seasoning or omit it entirely.
🍅 Keep the asparagus plain. If your kids don’t like their veggies seasoned, consider setting aside some plain, steamed asparagus.
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- 1 lb asparagus (ends removed)
- 2 - 2 1/2 T olive oil
- 1/2 t Italian seasoning
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/4 t ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup parmesan (freshly grated or shredded)
- 3 T butter (divided)
- 3-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thinly sliced)
- 1 t basil (dried)
- 1 t rosemary (dried)
- 1 t thyme (dried)
- 1/2-1 t Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 t paprika
- 1/4 t crushed red pepper
- 1/4 t ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 T parsley (fresh, finely chopped)
- 2 cups Instant Rice
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Preheat oven to 350.
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Spread out rinsed and dried asparagus on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil (roll asparagus to ensure oil is evenly distributed). Mix together Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and Panko in small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over asparagus. Finally, sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until ends are starting to brown.
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While asparagus is cooking, melt 2 T of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
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Pat chicken dry. Mix basil, rosemary, thyme, Seasoned Salt, paprika, crushed red pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl. Season each side of the dry chicken breasts with 1/2 t of that seasoning mix, distributing it evenly on the chicken. Lay chicken down in skillet in melted butter and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken, until cooked through. Set cooked chicken aside.
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Meanwhile, cook rice according to package.
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Reduce skillet to medium heat. Melt remaining 1 T of butter and sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and lemon juice, and simmer sauce for 1 minute. Return chicken to pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes, turning chicken once to cover both sides with the sauce. Serve chicken topped with fresh parsley for garnish.
Serve chicken topped with finely chopped parsley for garnish, alongside asparagus and rice. Pour the extra chicken broth over the rice.
We recommend all children's meals be served with milk.
What can my kids do while I cook?
