Creamy Mushroom Parmesan chicken tastes indulgent, but is low in calories and points. It’s an impressive meal to serve to guests while still keeping on track.
If I had to choose one WW-friendly dish to make for the rest of my life, it would be Creamy Mushroom Parmesan Chicken. I know that sounds dramatic, but just trust me on this.
I’ve made it for guests and they always tell me it’s one of the best dishes they’ve tried. I never even told them it was low in points.
It seems so fancy and decadent because of that sauce. As Julia Child taught me, white wine and cream are a match made in culinary heaven. I would watch reruns of her classic show on public access TV as a child, so I always knew that butter, cream, and white were all you needed to make anything taste fabulous.
That’s definitely still true. I just needed to find ways to make that magical combo a little more sustainable when thinking of my health. That’s where the idea for this dish started.
I’m a fan of all things creamy, so if you end up liking this dish, you can try these ones, too!
- Turkey Meatballs in Dijon Gravy
- One-Pot Louisiana Chicken Pasta
- Penne alla Vodka
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Creamy Cajun Pasta
How to lighten it up
After testing a lot of different variations, I found that the butter wasn’t necessary in a dish like this. We can also swap out heavy cream for half and half.
Although many of you have told me you’ve had success using fat-free half and half in this recipe, I really prefer the full-fat version here. The fat free versions are usually highly processed with added sugar.
Small amounts of fat here and there keep you more satisfied. It’s definitely worth it to me to go with the full-fat in the this recipe.
You’ll be surprised by how much flavor and complexity you can get out of a dish that takes only 30 minutes to make!
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!
Creamy Mushroom Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Salt and pepper chicken. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add olive oil, then sear the chicken, about 5 minutes a side. Make sure you get a nice sear on the chicken to add depth to the sauce. There should be lots of browned bits in stuck to the skillet. Move chicken to a plate and cover with tinfoil.
- In the same pan, saute garlic in cooking spray for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, thyme, a pinch of salt. Brown mushrooms, then deglaze pan white wine. Scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan and cook until wine is evaporated and mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes
- Whisk half and half, almond milk, and cornstarch together in a separate bowl. Add to the pan, bring to a low boil, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add parmesan and stir until melted into the sauce. Place chicken and juices back in the skillet and simmer until chicken is heated through.
Your food looks amazing! Can’t wait to try many of your recipes. Hat tip to Amanda Cypert for letting me know about your blog!
Thank you and welcome! I love Amanda! She totally inspires me.
I also thank Amanda for finding you. She has great recipes to and meal planning videos.
I totally agree. Love her. And welcome to my page!
How would it be to used fat free half and half? Could possibly lower the points too !??
It would definitely lower the points, but I’m not a huge fan of the texture of the sauce with the fat free half and half. I tested it out that way and felt like the full fat was worth the points. But definitely experiment to see what you like better!
I tried making with fat free half and half tonight. I always follow the recipe to a t. The recipe is PERFECT as written…fat free half and half saves 1 point per serving and….I feel like I ruined the meal.
I have so been there before! I used to try to cut everything down to the lowest points possible, but working in some fat here and there is totally worth it overall. Thanks for letting us know, though. I have been tempted to do that myself.
I used fat free by accident but just added another teaspoon of cornstarch and cooked all down a little longer and it was delicious!
Good to know that it still worked out for you!
I just made this tonight and loved it! I’m not sure how to track it though on my WW app. I know it’s 3points a serving but not sure how exactly to create it on my tracker. How would you do this? Thanks!!
So glad you liked it! In your WW app, you can just go to Quick Add to input the points, or you can go to the recipe builder to confirm points with the ingredients you used.
Hi! I really want to try this recipe, but I hate mushrooms. Any other veggies you would suggest to make a substitution?
Hi there! People have had success with asparagus, so maybe that could work.
Could I use skim milk in place of the almond milk?
I think that would work!
MADE THIS LAST NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME….. AAAAMMMMMAAAAAZZZZIIINNNGGGGGGGG! MINE ENDED UP A POINT EXTRA, BUT SOOOOOO WORTH IT! THANKS FOR THE RECIPE!!
This makes me so happy! Thank you, Courtney. 🙂
How do I put this recipe into my tracking app 🙂
You can put the ingredients into the Recipe Builder, or you could just Quick Add the meal for on serving. 🙂
I’m not usually a fan of Thyme. Is there anything I could substitute?
I think rosemary would be great. Or you could just leave it out and add some garlic. 🙂
This looks so good!! I would like to serve it to friends but a couple are recovering alcoholics. What could be used instead of the wine?
Try chicken stock instead. 🙂
Hi, this recipe looks amazing.
What exactly is half and half?
Half and half is a mixture of heavy cream and whole milk. You can find it next tot he heavy cream.
What is half and half? I’ve never heard of it.
It’s a mixture of heavy cream and whole milk. You can find it by the heavy cream in just about any grocery store.
When your recipe says “cup” what is that in oz or gram or ml ?
A cup is 8 fluid ounces. 🙂
What do you normally serve on the side with this?
I like it with either high-protein pasta or mashed potatoes. Then I’ll add some green beans or broccoli on the side.
Hi!
I made this last night for the first time and it was so incredible!! It’s hard to believe something can taste so good and be WW friendly! Thank you for the great recipe!!
That makes me so happy! Glad you enjoyed it.
So rich and decadent! It is hard to believe the points are so low. Geri is a genius!
Glad you think so, too! It’s one of my all-time favs.
This was so delicious! Definitely a crowd-pleaser of a recipe. It feels so indulgent but without any of the guilt. And it came out looking just like the photos!
Yay! I love hearing that. I still can’t believe it’s a “light” dish.
All I can say is WOW! This is so amazingly delicious – thank you! My husband now pretty much asks for this dish every other day. I have never had meals that I put on a weekly rotation but this one is it!
Awww that makes me so happy! Thank you for letting me know. We make this constantly, too.