MARRY ME RECIPES
The phrase “the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach” is a 19th-century proverb meaning that cooking for someone is an effective way to win their affection. There’s some truth behind “the fastest way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.” Preparing food shows care, effort, and a desire to meet basic needs. Surveys indicate that both men and women feel happy when someone cooks for them. Eating together creates positive memories, improves moods, and fosters relaxation and closeness.
Recently I have been seeing many “Marry Me” recipes on social media. If you’re unfamiliar with what makes a “marry me” recipe, let me explain. Marry Me Chicken originated in 2016 when Delish editor Lindsay Funston created a skillet chicken recipe with heavy cream, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan, and a video producer took a bite and said, “I’d marry you for that chicken”.
Long before “Marry Me” recipes went viral, the concept started with Engagement Chicken at Glamour magazine in 1982. A fashion editor shared a simple lemon-roasted whole chicken recipe with her assistant. The assistant made it for her boyfriend, who proposed shortly after. After several other staffers cooked the same chicken and received proposals, the magazine published the recipe in 2004, cementing the urban legend.
Social media has spawned a world of adaptations, such that “Marry Me” has become a flavor, more than one specific dish. There’s a vegetarian riff using beans, and a version with chicken meatballs instead of chicken breasts. There’s “Marry Me” chicken noodle soup, orzo, gnocchi, and ramen. There are substitutes with salmon and steak. There’s an “Asian” version which just uses gochujang. And there are some that don’t even reference the original recipe, instead using “Marry Me” as code for anything so rich, comforting, and delicious you supposedly won’t want to stop eating it. But they are not calling these recipes “Comforting and delicious pot roast,” to take one example. There may be no changing the names of these recipes at this point. The truth is, you can cook this chicken for or with whomever you want. It could just as easily be Divorce Chicken (recipe included!)
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chili flakes
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon thyme
⅓ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt the butter on medium heat. Swirl the pan to coat with oil and butter evenly.
Brown the chicken on both sides until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Work in batches if needed so you don’t overcrowd the pan. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside.
Sauté the garlic for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.
Season with salt and pepper to your taste, add the sundried tomatoes then put the chicken back in the sauce and let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve warm over pasta or rice.
Marry Me Chicken Crock-Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
1-pound uncooked medium shells
12 ounces white sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 (3-ounce) package julienne-cut sundried tomatoes (about 3/4 cup)
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high; add pasta and cook until very al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse. Add pasta to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in shredded cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, evaporated milk, cream of chicken soup, milk, butter, cream cheese, tomato paste, thyme, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder until well combined. Cover and cook until cheese is melted and gooey, about 1 hour on LOW. Stir well until cream cheese is well incorporated. Garnish with additional thyme and serve. Make ahead -Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently over low heat, adding extra milk if needed to loosen.
Marry Me Pot Roast
Ingredients
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes
3 to 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup julienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 jar (10 ounces) roasted sweet red peppers, drained
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (10-1/2 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
16 ounces pappardelle pasta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Directions
In a large Crock-Pot, scatter onions and garlic cloves in a layer. Pour in beef stock. In a large skillet, heat sun-dried tomato oil to medium-high heat. Add chuck roast; sear until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer roast to the slow cooker. Pour red wine into the hot skillet; use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits from the surface. Pour the wine mixture over the roast. Scatter sundried tomatoes and roasted red pepper strips in the slow cooker. Sprinkle roast with oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour the cream of mushroom soup over the roast. Cover; cook on low 7-8 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender. Shortly before the roast is done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook pappardelle pasta according to package directions or until al dente. Drain; set aside. Transfer the roast to a cutting board; tent with foil. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables from the liquid to a small bowl. Whisk the liquid into a creamy gravy. Stir the vegetables back into the gravy. Shred the pot roast. Place portions of cooked pasta on serving plates; place shredded pot roast on top. Ladle gravy and vegetables on top; sprinkle with grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.
Marry Me Beans
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil from a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup packed chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drained if oil-packed)
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish, optional
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted, for serving
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until sizzling and aromatic, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Then add the beans, broth, oregano, and salt and stir. Bring to a simmer, then roughly mash about 1/4 of the beans for a creamier mixture. I just use the back of a wooden spoon. Once the mixture is bubbling and heated through, reduce the heat to low and add the cream, about 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice. Stir until the cheese is melted, then taste. Add more salt and/or lemon if needed. Top with a drizzle of additional sun-dried tomato oil, the remaining Parmesan, and fresh parsley or basil (if using). Serve with toasty bread for dunking.
Divorce Chicken (sweeter and spicier version of Marry Me chicken)
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
For the marinade:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp paprika
1 lemon, zest and juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Lemon wedges
Extra chilli flakes
Directions
Make the sauce: Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, adding a good pinch of salt and pepper, then take 2 tbsp of this mix and place in a small separate bowl to the side (optional: this is to use to glaze the chicken at the end of cooking.) Leave to marinate: Add the chicken breasts to the large bowl containing the marinade and mix, coating well. Leave covered in the fridge for as long as you have (maximum 12 hours). Season with salt and pepper. When ready to cook: Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Bake the chicken breasts in a baking dish for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Optional glaze: At the end, spoon over the marinade you kept back earlier. Pre-heat the grill to high and pop under for 3-5 minutes until the chicken has browned a little on top (be sure your dish is grill safe if doing this!) To serve: Scatter over some extra chilli flakes and wiggle in a few extra lemon slices before serving.
