Half and half builds a fast, silky sauce for chicken and mushrooms. This shelf holds one product that stretches far: use what you have in the fridge and the storecupboard to make a weeknight dinner that feels like you tried.

Serves 2. 40 minutes, 30 at the stove.

About 1040 calories a serving, 55 g protein, 111 g carbohydrate, 41 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Start 2 cups of salted water in a separate pot for the rice. When it boils, add 1 cup rice, stir once, lower heat to bare simmer, cover, and cook 18 minutes. The water will be gone and the rice tender when done.18 min
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Pat one 12-ounce boneless chicken breast dry and season both sides with salt and pepper, then lay it in the hot pan. Sear 5 minutes on the first side without moving it, then turn and sear 4 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the second breast.
3. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1 small diced onion. Cook 2 minutes, stirring, then add 2 minced garlic cloves and 8 ounces sliced mushrooms. Stir often until the mushrooms release their liquid and it nearly evaporates, about 5 minutes.5 min
4. Pour 1 cup half and half into the skillet and stir gently. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it in the sauce. Lower heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly and the chicken will be opaque all the way through when a knife pierces the thickest part.8 min
5. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Divide the rice between two plates, top each with a chicken breast, and spoon the sauce and mushrooms over everything.

Note Swap the chicken for a pound of shrimp, adding it in the final step and cooking only 3 minutes. Leftovers keep refrigerated three days and reheat gently in a low oven or on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Serve with a green vegetable or a simple salad on the side.