Boneless Chicken with Piminto's

This is a weeknight workhorse: browned chicken in a creamy cheese-mustard sauce with broccoli and pimentos, all served over rice. It uses cream of chicken soup as a shortcut base, and the whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes.

Brown the chicken first to build a golden crust that adds flavor and texture to the finished dish. Don’t rush this step. A proper sear on each piece creates fond (those browned bits on the pan bottom) that dissolves into the sauce and makes it taste richer than a can of soup has any right to.

The sauce comes together fast after the chicken is browned: soup, milk, grated cheese, and mustard get stirred in and heated until the cheese melts smooth. The mustard adds a sharp, tangy bite that cuts through the richness and keeps the sauce from tasting one-note.

Broccoli and pimentos go in for just 2 minutes at the end. That quick cook keeps the broccoli crisp-tender and bright green. Longer and it turns army-green and mushy.

Pro Tips

• Cut the chicken into even-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
• Use a sharp, flavorful cheese like sharp cheddar or gruyere. Mild cheese disappears in the sauce.
• The pimentos add pops of sweet, mild pepper flavor and color. Don’t skip them.
• Serve over fluffy white rice to soak up every bit of the sauce.

Variations

• Cheesy bake: Pour everything into a casserole dish, top with extra cheese and breadcrumbs, and bake until bubbly for a different presentation.
• Cauliflower swap: Replace the broccoli with cauliflower florets for a milder vegetable that melts into the cheese sauce.