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Marry Me Chicken in Pumpkin Cream Sauce: A delicious fall twist on everyone’s beloved Italian chicken dinner. Pan-seared Italian-seasoned chicken is tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato and pumpkin cream sauce. Serve this dish with crusty bread to soak up all that yummy pumpkin sauce. Everyone at the dinner table will love this creamy dinner. This dish will be great to enjoy all season long.
Now that it’s October, I’m happy to start sharing out my pumpkin recipes for the season. I know many of you have been baking with pumpkin since August, but over here, we’re just getting started!
What I find with every season is that pumpkin is so heavily used in baking recipes but always overlooked in the savory recipe department. Very few think to cook with pumpkin!
I actually love to cook with pumpkin more than I like to bake with it. It’s similar to cooking with butternut squash or sweet potatoes, so as you can imagine, it’s delicious!
When I was working on recipes for this month, Marry Me Chicken was on my list of dishes that sounded yummy and cozy for fall.
My family loves marry-me chicken, an Italian-seasoned chicken usually served in a cream-based tomato or sun-dried tomato sauce. In the past, I’ve shared Marry-Me Chicken Meatballs, but never just the classic dish.
I was ready to make a classic version, knowing we’d love the recipe, but then I had the idea of creating a pumpkin cream sauce instead of something heavy on the tomatoes! Sounds great, right? It really did turn out so well.
So much so that I’ve made this multiple times since first testing the recipe. I even froze the dish for upcoming months when I’m traveling! My family is certainly going to love having this in the freezer!
These are the details
Ingredients
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts or small chicken thighs
- Italian seasoning
- chili flakes
- salted butter
- garlic
- fresh thyme and sage
- canned pumpkin puree
- tomato paste
- white wine or broth
- nutmeg
- heavy cream
- parmesan and gouda cheese
Special Tools
None! You just need a skillet for this quick recipe!
Step 1: the sun-dried tomatoes
Start with the sun-dried tomatoes. I love using a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Not only are the tomatoes delicious, but I also use the oil from the jar to cook the chicken. Additionally, the oil is always seasoned, so it adds even more flavor. Just make sure the jar has extra virgin olive oil.
Most people discard the oil, but you must use it! It adds a lot of flavor to recipes.
Step 2: cook the chicken
Working in a skillet, toss the chicken with the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Start cooking the chicken over medium heat and get each side browned.
Step 3: add the butter and herbs
Next, add a little butter with some chopped garlic, fresh thyme, and fresh sage. Let the herbs cook until the garlic is fragrant and takes on a pretty golden color.
Add the pumpkin puree and tomato paste to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes to thicken the pumpkin.
Step 4: finish the chicken sauce
Now add the wine or broth. Additionally, add the cream, nutmeg, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer the sauce until thickened, about 10 minutes.
The last step is to top the dish with parmesan and gouda cheese. Parmesan is traditional, but I love the sweet and creamy gouda cheese paired with the pumpkin. It’s the yummiest mix of savory and sweet flavors.
This is certainly not your average Marry Me chicken, but I think it’s even better. Using pumpkin in the cream sauce is just delicious. It’s a great way to highlight the season’s best flavors in a completely different way.
You can serve this to your family any night of the week, but it’s equally great for your next dinner party. Add a big fall salad and some bread on the side. Oh, and a great fall drink would be really nice too!
The perfect autumn night!
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon.
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
Lastly, if you make this Marry Me Chicken in Pumpkin Cream Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Marry Me Chicken in Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 397 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained
- 6 boneless chicken breasts, or thighs
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3/4 cup pumpkin purèe
- 3/4 cup dry white wine or broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Drain 3 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large skillet with sides. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.2. Add the chicken to the skillet and toss with the sun-dried tomato oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set the skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes per side. Add the butter, garlic, thyme, sage, and season with chili flakes. Cook until lightly golden, 2 minutes.3. Mix in the pumpkin, tomato paste, and wine or broth. Bring to a boil, cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the cream, nutmeg, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Sprinkle over both cheeses. 4. Serve the chicken topped with fresh basil and crusty bread for dipping. YUM.
This post was originally published on October 2, 2024
This sauce is perfection! I added a little maple syrup to bring out the sweetness of the pumpkin and it was delicious served over potatoes.
Thanks so much, ALix! Love to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
Big success here !! Thanks for another great, quick & cosy 😉 recipe !
Hey Virginie,
Thanks so much for your comment! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you! Happy Tuesday! xT
This was incredible!! The whole family loved it.
Hey Shannon,
Yay! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Delicious! Definitely going into the fall rotation 🎃
Hey Jessica,
Happy Fall Thursday!
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! XxT
Super yummy recipe!! My husband said this is one of my favorite meals I’ve ever made him and this sauce ‘is his favorite!’. I imagine this will be on fall rotation in our house!
Thanks so much, Victoria! Love to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
easy and delicious! served with gnocchi, crusty bread, and salad. will be a fall staple.
Hey Lindsey,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xx
This was absolutely phenomenal – a true crowd pleaser for our group of 10! Even our pickiest eater scarfed up the chicken. I didn’t add much red chili flakes for sensitive palettes, but I could have definitely added more and it would have been fine. Well done, Tieghan, and thank you!
Hey Becky,
Happy Tuesday! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed by your family! XxT
I loved it. I only added 1/3 cup cream and it still tastes great. Love pumpkin
Hey Stephanie,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xT
This sounds Amazing! I am planning to make this for a Bible study gathering this week, would be okay to make it ahead of time & reheat without the chicken becoming dry?
Hey Pamela,
I think that would be just fine for you to do, I would just cover with foil and warm on low. I hope you love this dish! xT
Way too greasy. And it felt like the flavors didn’t really work together. Not a fave, bummer!
Hi Katie,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Any recommendations for a substitute for sun dried tomatoes? I am not a big fan 🙁
Hey Taryn,
I would just skip them, no big deal:) Please let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xT
Can you reduce the liquid in the pan by boiling it a little more to reduce the sauce, making it a little less saucy? I’m thinking you could do this in the step where you add the wine. I just don’t like having a bunch of sauce left over after all the chicken is eaten/ served.
Hey Amy,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
The way I was not prepared for the NSFW raw chicken. Thrilled to try this recipe xx
I hope you love this dish, Samantha!
This dish came out so well! It’s delicious, truly, and very easy to put together. It’ll definitely be a regular part of my fall/winter rotation. Thanks so much for another flavorful, easy dish!
Hey Nicole,
Happy Thursday:) Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! Xx
Yum! Do you think it would work to sub coconut milk for the heavy cream and omit the cheese to make it dairy free?
Thank you!
I would suggest Trader Joe’s vegan non dairy Boursin cheese as a substitute for cheese.
Hi Bailey,
Yes, that should work nicely for you. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT