Some meals don’t need a big introduction—they just feel right the moment they hit the table, don’t they? That’s exactly how I feel about this Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes. It’s the absolute peak of comfort food, the kind of dish that makes the kitchen feel warm and the evening slow down just right.
We’re talking about tender chicken breasts swimming in the richest garlic cream sauce you can imagine, all nestled snuggly over a pile of the smoothest mashed potatoes. It’s familiar, it’s satisfying, and goodness, it’s reassuring!
For me, making this brings back memories of evenings when dinner was the main event. When I first started Sena Recipes, I wanted to share dishes like this—the ones that feel like a warm hug. These mashed potatoes soak up every bit of that amazing sauce, and honestly, you’ll find yourself asking for seconds before you’ve put your fork down the first time. It’s just pure, simple, home-cooked magic.
Why You Will Love This Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
I’ve made a million dinners that taste good, but this one? This one sticks around in your memory. It’s practically a staple in my house when I need something truly comforting and crowd-pleasing. Trust me, you’re going to want to bookmark this one for those chilly nights.
- It’s the ultimate cozy meal—nothing says “home” quite like tender chicken swimming in sauce atop fluffy potatoes.
- We’re using simple everyday ingredients, but the final flavor is restaurant-quality rich.
- The sauce is everything! Those mashed potatoes are practically designed to absorb every single drop of that garlic cream sauce.
- It pairs perfectly for a family dinner but feels special enough for a weekend date night in.
- While we bake it at the end, the stovetop work is fast, making it quicker than you think for such big flavor.
- You get that fantastic texture contrast: smooth potatoes against the perfectly seared chicken.
Essential Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
Okay, gathering your ingredients is half the battle, and knowing exactly what goes where makes prepping so much smoother. For this dish, we’re focusing on three components: the potatoes, the chicken itself, and the amazing sauce that ties it all together. Don’t skimp on the heavy cream here; we need that richness!
For the Creamy Mashed Potatoes
We want these potatoes fluffy and ready to soak up that sauce, so we need the right spuds and just enough fat to make them decadent. Remember, the instruction says to peel and cut them into equal-sized chunks so they all cook evenly!
- 1 lb. russet potatoes (peeled and cut into equal-sized chunks, remember?)
- 1 ½ tablespoon glorious butter for those potatoes
- ¼ cup heavy cream to make them silky smooth
- Salt, just to taste for seasoning—don’t be shy!
For the Tender Chicken
For this recipe, we are using whole chicken breasts. Seasoning is key before that initial sear because that flavor locks right into the meat when it hits the hot pan. This simple seasoning is all you need.
- 2 large chicken breasts (whole)
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter for searing
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (the butter needs a friend to keep it from burning!)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, just to taste for the chicken, naturally.
For the Rich Garlic Cream Sauce
This is where the magic happens! The garlic paste and mustard are what give this sauce that amazing depth you can’t get from plain broth. It’s an easy roux base followed by simmering everything down until it’s just right.
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter, specifically for the sauce base
- 1 tablespoon mustard—I love Dijon here, but yellow works too!
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste (or super finely minced garlic if you can’t find paste)
- ½ tablespoon flour—this is what thickens things up!
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste for seasoning the sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream for that unmistakable luxurious finish
Step-by-Step Instructions for Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
Alright, let’s get cooking! This recipe moves smoothly between the stovetop and the oven, so keep your eye on everything. But don’t stress; we take it one delicious stage at a time. Having your ingredients prepped (your mise en place, as the fancy folks say!) makes this whole process feel relaxing instead of rushed.
Preparing the Smooth Mashed Potatoes
We start with the potatoes because they take the longest to boil, but honestly, they are the easiest part! It’s all about getting them perfectly soft so they just melt when you mash them.
- First things first: peel those gorgeous russet potatoes and chop them right up into chunks that look roughly the same size. Consistency matters here so they cook evenly.
- Toss those chunks into a big pot and cover them completely with water.
- Put that pot on high heat and bring that water to a rolling boil.
- Let them cook away until you can easily slide a fork right through a cube without any fighting. They should be super tender!
- Once they’re soft, drain off every last drop of that cooking water. Seriously, get it out of there.
- Now, pop in your measurement of butter, that ¼ cup of heavy cream, and a good pinch of salt.
- Grab your masher—or if you’re feeling extra fancy, a hand mixer—and mash them until they are impossibly smooth. I hate lumpy potatoes! Once they’re perfect, cover the pot and keep them warm while we handle the star of the show.
Searing the Chicken for the Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
Searing builds a gorgeous little flavor crust on the chicken that we absolutely need for the sauce later. Don’t worry about cooking it all the way through right now; we’re just getting color!
- Take those seasoned chicken breasts and make sure they look happy with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In your big skillet, warm up that blend of butter and olive oil until you see tiny shimmers in the oil.
- Carefully place the chicken into the hot skillet. Don’t crowd them!
- Let them cook, without touching or moving them, for about five minutes on the first side until they get a nice, deep golden-brown color. Flip and repeat that five minutes on the other side.
- Once they look beautifully browned on both sides, take the chicken out of the skillet and set them on a plate nearby. That skillet is now full of flavor, and we are going right back to it!
Building the Flavorful Garlic Cream Sauce
This is where we transform those browned bits in the pan—we call that fond—into the silky gravy that makes this dish famous. Also, make sure your oven is preheated while you start this step!
- Preheat your oven now to 375°F. It needs a little time to catch up.
- Back to the skillet (no cleaning needed!), melt that sauce butter, and then stir in the garlic paste. Let that sizzle for about a minute until you can really smell that gorgeous garlic aroma.
- Whisk in the flour quickly—this mixture is called a roux. Cook it for just one minute until it looks slightly pasty.
- Now, start pouring in the chicken broth slowly, whisking constantly so you don’t get any clumps. Keep whisking!
- Once that’s smooth, whisk in your mustard, and then season with salt and pepper. Taste it now! Does it need more salt?
- Finally, whisk in that heavy cream. Let the whole mixture simmer gently for a minute or two. Watch it—it should just start to thicken slightly so it coats the back of a spoon.
Finishing and Serving Your Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
We just need a little bit of oven time to finish cooking the chicken through gently and marry all those sauce flavors together. This is the payoff moment!
- Return those seared chicken breasts right back into that amazing sauce in the skillet.
- Carefully transfer the whole skillet into your preheated 375°F oven.
- Let the chicken bake away for about 15 minutes. This ensures they are cooked all the way through without drying out, thanks to the sauce bath.
- Pull the skillet out when it’s done. Now for the plating! Scoop a generous helping of those warm, smooth mashed potatoes onto your plate.
- Place a piece of that tender chicken right on top of the potatoes.
- Pour a lovely ladle-full of that rich garlic cream sauce right over the chicken and let it drizzle down over the potatoes.
- Finish the whole beautiful thing with a flourish of chopped fresh parsley for a little pop of color. Enjoy your ultimate comfort meal!
Tips for Perfect Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
Even though this is such a classic dish, a couple of little tricks can take it from “good” to “I need the recipe right now!” level. Because we are building so much flavor on the stovetop before we even bake it, attention to detail in those first steps really pays off.
Here are the things I always do when I’m making this for my family:
- Don’t Skip the Sear Time: When you cook the chicken breasts initially, resist the urge to flip them too fast! Getting that deep golden-brown crust is essential. Those tasty browned bits—the fond—are what dissolve into your sauce later, giving your Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes that deep, savory background flavor that you just can’t fake with spices alone.
- Keep Your Potatoes Hot: If you let those mashed potatoes sit too long, they firm up and won’t absorb the sauce as beautifully. Once they are mashed smooth, cover the pot tightly with a lid and maybe even wrap a clean kitchen towel around it. They need to be piping hot when they hit the plate for serving.
- Temper the Cream Slowly: When you add the heavy cream near the very end of the sauce-making process, lower the heat first! If the pan is too fierce, the cold cream hitting the hot liquid can cause it to curdle or separate. Adding it gradually while whisking gently ensures you get that beautiful, smooth, velvety texture we’re aiming for with the garlic sauce.
- Use a Meat Thermometer for Safety: Since we sear first and then bake, it’s hard to judge by hand if chicken breasts are done without drying them out. If you have one, aim for an internal temperature of 165°F. This guarantees safety while preventing the chicken from getting tough. If you want to make this a truly quick dinner idea, knowing exactly when the chicken is done saves precious minutes!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
Sometimes when you’re making a recipe, you’re staring into the pantry, missing just one thing. That’s okay! Cooking is all about adaptation, especially when you’re aiming for a classic like Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes. But I do have a few non-negotiable points, and then a few spots where you can totally pivot.
Let’s talk potatoes first. You absolutely need to use starchy potatoes here, like Russets. If you use waxy potatoes, they just won’t mash creamy; they end up gummy or watery, and we need that fluffy base to catch all that sauce. Russets break down beautifully when boiled, giving us that smooth canvas.
Now for the sauce substitutions, because heavy cream isn’t always on hand.
Can I skip the heavy cream in the sauce?
Yes, you totally can, though it won’t be quite as rich. If you only have half-and-half or even whole milk, you can substitute cup-for-cup, but here is my trick: when you add the broth, hold back on some of the heavy cream measurement and instead mix about one teaspoon of cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water—that’s a slurry. Whisk that slurry into the simmering sauce right before you add the milk. It acts as a stabilizer and helps prevent your sauce from thinning back out after you remove it from the heat.
What about the mustard? Do I really need it?
That tiny bit of mustard is my secret weapon in savory sauces! It doesn’t make the dish taste like mustard, I promise. It just helps brighten up the heavy cream and garlic flavors. If you absolutely cannot use mustard, stir in a tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice right at the end instead. Just add a quarter teaspoon, whisk it in, and taste. That acidity will achieve a similar effect by cutting through the richness.
Remember, even if you swap out the cream, if you have great potatoes and a nice sear on your chicken, this Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes is still going to be a winner. The goal is comfort, not perfection!
Serving Suggestions for This Comfort Meal
Since we’ve already loaded up on rich, creamy goodness with the sauce and the potatoes, when I serve this, I always like to bring in something bright and fresh on the side. It really balances out the meal so you don’t feel too heavy afterward. You know, making sure we have a little green on the plate keeps things interesting!
The goal here is a side that cooks quickly or can be prepped ahead, so you aren’t juggling three separate things once the chicken is in the oven. Here are a couple of pairings that I just adore with this sort of hearty dish:
- Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts: These are fantastic because the slight bitterness of the sprouts, cut with a hint of sweetness from the maple, plays so nicely against the savory garlic. Plus, roasting them is mostly hands-off! If you want to try my little trick for getting them perfectly crisp, you should check out my recipe for Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Pecans.
- Simple Steamed Green Beans: Honestly, you can’t go wrong with simplicity. We steam the beans until they are just tender-crisp—we don’t want floppy beans! Toss them with a tiny squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. They add that much-needed snap of freshness.
- A Clean, Crisp Side Salad: Whenever I want something super effortless, I throw together a quick salad. Think mixed greens, a few slivers of red onion, maybe some cucumber, and then I dress it very lightly with a simple vinaigrette made from olive oil and red wine vinegar. It’s light, cuts through the richness, and makes the whole plate look prettier, too.
If you are feeling like you want something quick but still green and tasty, sometimes I even whip up a batch of my Quick Broccoli Pasta, but I’ll skip the pasta part and just treat the seasoned broccoli like a side dish—works like a charm!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
Because this dish involves three distinct textures—tender chicken, creamy sauce, and soft potatoes—storing and reheating it correctly is the secret to enjoying your leftovers without sacrificing that comforting quality. Trust me, you do not want mushy potatoes!
When I make a big batch of Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes, I always aim to store the components separately if I know I won’t eat it all in one go. This ensures that when I reheat it later, everything comes back to life beautifully and tastes fresh, almost like it was just made.
Storing Your Leftovers
If you are planning on reheating this within a day or two, you can certainly keep it all together in one airtight container. However, if you want to keep things pristine, separating the elements is best. Aim for an airtight container for each part and pop it into the fridge within two hours of cooking.
- The Chicken and Sauce: Keep these together in the fridge. They hold up wonderfully.
- The Mashed Potatoes: These tend to dry out or get a little stiff when refrigerated. Keep them covered tightly by themselves. They are surprisingly sturdy, though, and can be prepped ahead of time if you’re using them for other make-ahead meals later in the week!
Reheating for Maximum Comfort
The goal for reheating is gentle warmth. We don’t want to blast it in the microwave and make the chicken rubbery or separate the sauce.
For the Chicken and Sauce: I much prefer the stovetop method for reheating the chicken. Place the portion you want into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of extra chicken broth or a tablespoon of cream to loosen the sauce up as it warms. Stir frequently until it’s heated through evenly. You can use the microwave, but cover your plate with a damp paper towel to encourage gentle steaming!
For the Mashed Potatoes: These benefit most from a little added moisture. Put the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl and add a tablespoon of milk or cream for every cup of potatoes you are reheating. Cover loosely and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring well in between each burst. This lets the moisture redistribute, making them fluffy again without becoming watery.
Once both components (chicken/sauce and potatoes) are warm, plate them up exactly as you did the first time—potatoes down, chicken on top, and a generous drizzle of that garlicky sauce. It’s the best way to enjoy your homemade Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes later in the week!
Frequently Asked Questions About Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
It’s funny how even the simplest comfort foods spark the most questions! I get it; you want this to be perfect for your table, and maybe you’re trying to squeeze it into a busy weeknight. Let’s clear up some common things people ask me about making this satisfying meal!
Can I make this a healthier dinner recipe?
That’s a great question, especially since this dish leans into rich, comforting flavors! You absolutely can make tweaks to lighten it up without losing that essential creamy vibe. We’re not going for a diet meal, but we can trim some fat:
- For the sauce, instead of using a full cup of heavy cream (for both the potatoes and the sauce), try swapping half of that for whole milk or even half-and-half if you’re watching saturated fat. It won’t be quite as thick, so remember my trick: use a tiny cornstarch slurry to make up for the lost body!
- When searing the chicken, you can use just the half a tablespoon of olive oil and skip the butter entirely for the initial sear. You still get great flavor from the seasoned crust, and you save a bit of fat right off the bat.
If you are looking for more ways to sneak in veggies without sacrificing flavor, check out some of my easy healthy chicken dinners for inspiration!
What is a quick dinner idea if I skip making mashed potatoes?
Oh, those nights when you need a fast dinner but still want that amazing, saucy chicken! If you skip the mashed potatoes—which, admittedly, take the longest part of the prep—you need something that can soak up that garlic sauce quickly. For these quick dinner ideas, I have two favorites:
- Piping Hot Egg Noodles: Boil some wide egg noodles while the chicken bakes. They cook in about 8 minutes! Toss the cooked noodles with a bit of butter and salt and use them as the base instead of potatoes. They grip the sauce beautifully.
- Crusty Bread, Please! If you are having a truly lazy dinner night, just serve the saucy chicken in a bowl with a couple of thick slices of really good, crusty sourdough bread for dipping. It’s wonderfully messy and satisfying.
Can I use pre-cooked chicken for this recipe?
This is a fantastic shortcut for when you don’t have time to sear! If you have leftover roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts, you can definitely use them. However, you must adjust the steps:
Skip steps 9 through 12 entirely—the searing part. You should still melt the butter and oil and add the garlic paste and flour (the roux) just like normal in steps 14-16, because you need that base for your sauce. Once the sauce is built and slightly thickened (Step 20), add your pre-cooked chicken right back into the skillet.
Since the chicken is already cooked, you only need to bake it for the time it takes to heat through thoroughly, which is usually about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling hot around the edges. Keep an eye on the internal temperature to make sure it reaches 165°F if you’re worried about food safety!
About the Author: Emma Laurent and Sena Recipes
When you’re reading a recipe that feels this much like home, you probably want to know a little about the cook behind the stove. That’s me, Emma Laurent, the Founder here at Sena Recipes! My whole mission started because, frankly, food is about so much more than just eating, right? It’s about connection, about that feeling of comfort, and holding onto those family traditions.
I grew up with the kitchen being the absolute heart of everything. It’s where the best stories were told, and where my grandmother’s classic recipes were passed down. So, back in 2019, I started Sena Recipes to share those comforting classics, but I’ve given them a little modern, practical update for us busy home cooks. It’s been amazing to watch this little idea grow!
Now, my work inspires cooks all over the world to find the joy in those everyday meals. If I’m not in the kitchen testing out a new creamy sauce, you can probably find me tending to my garden or just cozying up around the table with my own family—you know, savoring those moments that food helps create. If you want to see what I’m up to offline, you can always check out my work on LinkedIn or visit the main Sena Recipes site!
Estimated Nutrition for Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
I always try my best to provide nutritional estimates for transparency, but remember these figures are just a guideline! Cooking at home means things change based on how much butter *you* swirl in for extra flavor or the specific size of your chicken breasts. It’s a hearty meal, so the numbers reflect that satisfying comfort!
Based on the amounts listed in the recipe, here is what you can roughly expect for one serving of this incredibly satisfying Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes:
- Calories: around 650
- Protein: 45g (That’s a great boost!)
- Fat: 40g (A good chunk of this is the yummy cream and butter, as expected in comfort food!)
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 550mg
This breakdown assumes you are using the heavy cream measurements listed. If you lighten up the sauce substitution we talked about earlier, those numbers will shift down wonderfully. But honestly, when you’re making food this cozy, just enjoy the richness, right? These estimates come from standard calculations and can vary based on your exact ingredients.
Share Your Comfort Food Moments
And there you have it! We’ve gone from boiling potatoes to baking the most satisfying, rich, garlic-infused chicken you can imagine. I pour my heart into these recipes because I truly believe that a home-cooked meal is the best way to show love, and I hope this Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes becomes one of *your* signature dishes.
Now, the best part: hearing from YOU! I absolutely love seeing how this dish looks on your dinner table. Did your sauce thicken up perfectly? Did you sneak an extra pat of butter into those potatoes? Don’t be shy!
If you made this recipe, please take a moment to come back and leave a rating for me. Five stars means you loved it, but even a few words in the comments section help me know what other kinds of cozy meals you want to see next on Sena Recipes. It’s genuinely built on the feedback from cooks like you!
Take a picture of your finished plate—maybe show off how much sauce those potatoes soaked up!—and tag us on social media. I always try to re-share my favorites. If you have any questions about the process that I might have missed, you can always reach out via my contact page. Happy cooking, friend. I hope this meal brings as much comfort to your home as it does to mine!
Creamy Garlic Chicken Over Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 55 min
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This recipe makes tender chicken in a rich garlic cream sauce served over smooth, homemade mashed potatoes. It is a classic comfort meal.
Ingredients
- 1lb. russet potatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter for potatoes
- ¼ cup heavy cream for potatoes
- Salt, to taste for potatoes
- 2 large chicken
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter for chicken
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste for chicken
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter for sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ tablespoon flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste for sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream for sauce
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into equal-sized chunks.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot filled with water.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Cook the potatoes until fork tender.
- Once the potatoes are done, drain the cooking water.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoon butter, ¼ cup heavy cream, and salt to taste to the potatoes.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until smooth.
- Set the mashed potatoes aside and cover to keep them warm.
- In the meantime, prepare the chicken; season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 1 ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon olive oil in a skillet.
- Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side or until browned.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon garlic paste to the same skillet where you cooked the chicken.
- Cook until the butter is melted.
- Whisk in ½ tablespoon flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in ½ cup chicken broth.
- Whisk in 1 tablespoon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk in ½ cup heavy cream and simmer for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet with the sauce.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve mashed potatoes on a plate.
- Add the chicken on top and drizzle the sauce over the chicken.
- Finish off with chopped parsley.
Notes
- This dish is familiar and satisfying comfort food meant for sharing.
- The mashed potatoes absorb the garlic cream sauce well.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking and Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 40
- Saturated Fat: 22
- Unsaturated Fat: 18
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 45
- Cholesterol: 180
Keywords: Creamy Garlic Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Dinner, Comfort Food, Easy Chicken Recipe, Garlic Sauce, Family Dinner