Garlic and Parmesan. It almost doesn't matter what comes next, does it? It's such a perfect combination that gets even better when you mix those two ingredients with butter and mayonnaise to create a rich cream sauce that's poured over slowly-cooked chicken. Toss in some potatoes and asparagus, and you've got yourself the perfect Sunday night meal.
Making the chicken with the garlic cream sauce (as below) is my favorite way to enjoy this dish. But on days that I want something a bit lighter, I add the garlic in at the beginning and just sprinkle Parmesan cheese on at the end, when I would add the sauce. Still all the flavor, you just lose some of the richness.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken with Potatoes 
Ingredients2 pounds (900 grams) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound (450 grams) baby red potatoes, quartered (or halved, if they're smaller)
1 pound (450 grams) asparagus, cleaned and trimmed
1 cup (250 ml) butter, (2 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup (250 ml) mayonnaise
1 cup (250 ml) Parmesan cheese, grated
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh oregano, chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh basil, chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
Directions1. Toss red potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Season chicken breasts with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in a single layer on top of potatoes.
3. Place lid on top of slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours, until potatoes are tender and fluffy.
4. In a medium-sized bowl combine the butter, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano, basil, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the chicken, and arrange asparagus along the sides of the chicken. Replace the lid and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the asparagus is fork-tender and the sauce is hot throughout.
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus, chicken and potatoes.
6. Make a decadent parmesan sauce: The sauce will have separated, but there is a lot of great flavor in it that you don't want to lose. Pour it into a measuring cup or other easy to handle container. Using a blender, slowly add in the sauce, blending on high to emulsify the parmesan sauce. In a pinch, you can pour it into a mason jar and shake it up for a quick blend before pouring over the chicken.
Pro tip: To add more texture to your chicken, use seasoned skin-on chicken and sear in a hot pan with olive oil and butter before placing over the potatoes in the slow cooker.
