Ree Drummond’s Chicken Recipe Just Like My Mom Used To Make and Love

Now that I have three children who are involved in travel sports and after school activities, I am even more in awe of how my mother was able to get dinner on the table when we were growing up. 

She worked full time outside of the home and had four kids heavily involved in dance, soccer, hockey, and everything in between. Yet, there was something warm, comforting, and nourishing on the table when I arrived home starving. By way of magic, my mom would pick me up from sports and drive me home, and while I took a shower, dinner would appear on the table. As a kid, I didn’t think much of it. Now I can see that she was practicing sorcery.

The difference between my mom and I is that I was formally trained to cook. Yet, I’ve been looking at family dinners all wrong. My first instinct is to make something entirely too complicated that my kids will barely eat. So, instead, I’ve officially entered my era of one-pot meals and casseroles, just like mom used to make and love. 

A new (to me) recipe that led me to this realization is Ree Drummond's Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken. It instantly reminded me of my mom’s style of cooking, in the best way possible.

How I Make Ree Drummond’s One-Pot Chicken Recipe

Ree’s one-pot chicken has everything you’d ever want in an easy weeknight dinner. First off, it uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are budget-friendly and quick-cooking. They get coated in a little flour and browned in a sauté pan, which is a step that made me nostalgic for some of my mom’s one pot chicken wonders.

Once the chicken is brown, the sauce comes together quickly: a little white wine to deglaze the pan, heavy cream for body and richness, Parmesan cheese, garlic, fresh lemon, and plenty of herbs. This cooks for just a few minutes before the chicken is added back and coated with the beautiful cream sauce.

Magic happens when the lemon juice combines with the cream; it instantly thickens the sauce allowing it to cling onto the chicken.

I served this to my family with buttered egg noodles and a side of broccoli. Everyone ate it (a miracle!) and it gave me a yearning for my mom’s cooking. 

Next time, I might reserve the cheese and instead of cooking it into the sauce, I’ll sprinkle it on and throw the chicken under the broiler for a bubbly and browned cheese topping. (After all, I can’t help but work out my chef chops.)

Thanks to the speed in which this chicken comes together, it will certainly be finding its way into our weekly dinner rotation!