Cheyenne's Olive Garden Inspired Chicken Scampi
Have you ever eaten at Olive Garden? Chances are you have....it's truly one of our favorite places to eat. Just give me pasta and bread sticks and I'm happy as a clam....so is Shane.....so is Stone. Well, Shane needs to add meat to his because......he's a carnivore, I swear! :) Anyway, Olive Garden has to most awesome Chicken Scampi ever. This recipe was inspired by their dish. I have made it time and time again until I got it just right. I've had several errors and mishaps along the way, but this is the final recipe that I've come up with. It is a bit time consuming concerning preparing the chicken, but I can honestly tell you that it is worth the effort!
Olive Garden Inspired Chicken Scampi
1 lb Chicken Breasts
1 cup Flour
1 cup Milk
1 Egg
Salt & Pepper
Lawry’s Seasoning
Oregano
Cilantro
Italian Seasonings
Olive Oil
½ Green Pepper, cut into thin strips
½ Red Pepper, cut into thin strips
½ Yellow Pepper, cut into thin strips
½ Orange Pepper, cut into thin strips
Purple/Red Onion, cut into thin strips
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Angel Hair Pasta, cooked al dente
¾ cup White Cooking Wine or White Wine
¾ cup Heavy Cream
Place flour, salt, pepper, and seasonings (about ½ tsp. each) into a shallow dish and mix well with a fork. Place milk in a shallow dish. Beat in an egg. Dredge chicken first in flour, then dip into milk, and then dredge again in the flour. Place breaded chicken on a rack and allow to rest 10 minutes before cooking. While the chicken is resting, cut peppers, onions, and mince garlic. *I actually made the chicken the night before so I don't have pictures. Sorry! I may try to add some at a later date if I can remember.*
Saute peppers, onions, and garlic in a large deep skillet over medium heat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
Season peppers, onions, and garlic with a little bit of salt and pepper. Saute until peppers begin to brown. Remove from skillet.
Add another couple tablespoons of olive oil in hot skillet. Place chicken in skillet. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until the chicken has browned on both sides. Remove chicken from pan. Deglaze the pan by adding white wine to the pan and add more ½ tsp of each seasoning (Oregano, Cilantro, Italian Seasoning). Scrape the bottom with a spoon scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add heavy cream and mix well. Return cooked vegetables to the pan and stir. Add cooked pasta to the skillet.
Add more salt, pepper, and seasonings to taste if you like. Plate the pasta and sauce, placing a few pieces of cooked chicken with each plate.
I wasn't very "on the ball" about taking pictures this time around. I will do better next time. I actually didn't plan to make this until later on in the week, but sometimes certain things sound good....and that's what happened! Like I said, I made the chicken the night before which I've never done before. The result? Still delicious! Give this one a try....it's a keeper! ~Cheyenne