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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
How do maintain the creamy sauce? Mine thickened up and separated.
Hi Katie,
Sorry to hear this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? What do you mean it separated? Sorry I am not sure why that would have happened! xx
I’ll give credit for the attempt here, but I like the OG way too much to rate this the full 5 stars. This was too rich for me and it did not have a similar effect on my now husband, as I do credit your OG MMC for our recent nuptials. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Amazon preorder!
Hi Ash,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! So sorry to hear you didn’t love it as much as the OG. Thanks so much for ordering the new cookbook:) Happy Sunday! xT
This was delicious! I served roasted potatoes and beets with it. I used 2lbs of chicken tenders and the portions were great.
Thanks so much, Mary! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have the best weekend! xx
This turned out amazing! We love marry me chicken and I’ve tried so many different recipes. This was not only good but looked so pretty. Loved the Gouda cheese on top!
Thanks so much, Jen! So glad you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! Happy Friday! xT
Can you go back to using weight for chicken measurements? Not all chicken breasts or thighs weigh the same amount so it’s confusing how much recipes call for now.
Hi Jacqueline,
Thanks for sharing your feedback regarding the meat measurements. I will try to start doing that again! I hope you love this recipe! xx
This turned out great! The chicken was juicy and tender. The sauce was very rich and flavorful. Thank you!
Hey Mel,
Happy Halloween! 🎃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your comment! Love to hear it was a winner! XxT
I’ve already made this three times, adding orzo and spinach. absolutely amazing, as always!!
Hey Devin,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Happy Halloween! 🎃
Have you tried this dairy free? Omitting the cheese and using coconut cream???
Hi Jaime,
So sorry, I have not tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I used coconut cream and it was amaaaazing. Delish dish. Adding to my faves to make for guests next time!
Thanks so much, Diane! xx
Hello, I made this last night and it was delicious! I am planning to make it for a dinner party on Friday. One person is dairy free. Is there a way to make this recipe dairy free?
Hey Paige,
Happy Monday! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well! You could do coconut milk in place of the cream and see if your local grocery store has some vegan cheeses available! Happy Halloween week! 🎃
This dish was delicious! So many fabulous flavors!
I want you to know that one of my kid’s friends introduced me to your recipes/ websites and you’ve got a huge following of mostly empty nesters trying / sharing your recipes.
Your recipes, videos and success bring us such happiness. Thank you!!
Aww, thanks so much, Karen!! I’m so glad to hear this dish turned out well for you! Thanks for making it! xT
Made this for a group of 9 last night! Everyone enjoyed it so much! Took you up on the crusty bread idea and it did not disappoint 🙂
Hey Monica,
Thanks so much:) So glad to hear your family enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
This is INSANE. Added mushrooms to the sauce and saved the extra to dip bread in the next day
Hey Ashley,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Have a great Monday! XxT
Absolutely delicious! I made this as is except I stirrd in some spinach and gnocchi at the end just to bump this up to a full meal. My husband raved about this one!
Hey Sarah,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! xT
FANTASTIC!!! the pumpkin, the tomato paste, the wine….oh my! what a flavor bomb and the fresh herbs just the cherry on top. this was delicious. Next time I will double the recipe and make a big batch because I want the leftovers!!
Hey Gilda,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed! Xx
Delish!
I was hesitant because of the pumpkin, don’t be. I will be making this again. I made gnocchi with it and it was perfection!
Hey Deanna,
Awesome! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Xx