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Creamy Cashew Chicken Recipe (with GF options)

This recipe is very forgiving and nothing has to be exact. You can made with homemade soup or not. You can make this in the oven (to make it ahead and bake later!) or in a big pan… 
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Megan via Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken breasts from a farmer you trust and who you know raises them outside as much as possible, find a safe source for pastured chicken here if you don't have a good local option.
  • 4 Tablespoons butter or ghee-- pastured butter is best (plus extra for greasing the pan)
  • Sea salt & pepper, paprika, Italian seasonings, or other seasonings you prefer.
  • 1 medium chopped onion or 1 Tablespoon dried onion, also add shallots and garlic if you have them. Organic is best if you can find them.
  • 2 containers of organic cream of mushroom soup or about 3-4 cups homemade--see the video below for how I do this--it's super easy. (if you're gluten-free, you can make your homemade soup using arrowroot for thickening instead of flour). You could also use part organic cream of mushroom soup AND part organic cream of chicken soup. If I use pre-made organic soup, I'll usually add a little extra homemade chicken stock for the extra nutrition.
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine--optional, such as a chardonnay
  • 1 cup sour cream , optional
  • More seasonings: Sea salt & Pepper, paprika, Italian seasonings, or other seasonings you prefer. Add to your taste preference, start with a little, then taste-test to see if it needs more. Don't be afraid of using salt liberally, it's good for us!
  • Red peppers, pea pods, asparagus, or any veggies you have on hand, chopped-- these are optional
  • Rice or pasta if desired — we like spelt pasta or einkorn pasta (to avoid conventional wheat when possible), but if you're gluten-free, you could use rice pasta, or just regular rice (I love that brand with the velcro close top) OR eat it plain, it's delicious by itself!
  • 1 cup crispy cashew pieces, or cashew pieces roasted in the oven until golden. (You can also do this in a pan on the stove with a little butter, just watch them so they don't burn.)
  • Shredded parmesan cheese (optional for the top)
  • fresh parsley (also optional for the top))

Instructions

If you're making it in the oven:

  • Cut chicken into pieces that are an even thickness, and cut any bad spots off. Melt butter in a cast iron pan (or I use my favorite pan) and brown both sides of the chicken, seasoning with sea salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasonings, or any seasonings you like. Sprinkle liberally on both sides.  Remove chicken and place in a buttered baking pan. (No need to make sure it's cooked through, as you'll be finishing it in the oven--this is easiest if you're making it ahead.)
  • Add the onions (and shallots/garlic) to the frying pan with more butter if needed, and cook until lightly golden – 3-4 minutes, be sure to stir/scrape the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan for optimum flavor!  Stir cream of mushroom soup in (if I'm using my homemade version, I'll make it in a separate pan then stir it all together), along with the wine, optional veggies, seasonings, and sour cream. Season with more salt and pepper if needed — taste test to get it right.  Let simmer a few minutes.  Pour sauce over the chicken. (Note, if you're watching the video below that I made showing this recipe, I forgot the wine and sour cream! But it's still really good!)
  • Bake 30-45 minutes at 350*, just until chicken is done, don't over bake or it'll be dry.  Serve over noodles or rice, or eat it plain for a delicious lowish-carb meal.  Add a roasted cashews and/or paremsan cheese on top and fresh parsley (if you have it) as you serve it. 

If you're making it in a big pan: