Sunny Anderson’s Smothered Chicken Recipe Had Fans Defending Her Store-Bought Shortcuts

Food Network star Sunny Anderson’s Smothered Chicken is a comforting dish that starts with browned chicken that’s eventually, yes, smothered in gravy and caramelized onions.

And she does it all with easy, affordable store-bought shortcuts. While most of the recipe’s reviews embraced her quick workarounds, it was one unhappy review that brought Anderson’s fans to her defense.

Anderson’s Smothered Chicken recipe uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen

The co-host of Food Network’s The Kitchen uses familiar items including fresh thyme, a large diced onion, all-purpose flour, Dijon mustard, warmed beef stock, mushrooms, grilled chicken breasts, and fresh parsley.

It’s a Southern classic that is so easy to make, it’ll quickly become a go-to weeknight favorite in many home cooks’ kitchens.

Sunny Anderson’s dish comes together so quickly, thanks to a few shortcuts

Sliced button mushrooms are the “first store-bought shortcut that’s going to get us to the finish line fast,” Anderson says in the Food Network video, below, for this recipe. They’re cooked in a pan with oil, followed by fresh thyme sprigs.

The diced onion is added and cooked in the same pan until it’s darker in color and tender: “Now’s the time to add a little bit more flavor and then also build our gravy that’s going to smother that chicken.”

The mustard and flour are stirred in, with the stock added once the flour has been worked in.

Anderson explained why she prefers beef stock in this chicken dish: “Could you add chicken stock because we’re doing smothered chicken? Yes. But beef stock with this just really … first of all, you’re getting a nice rich color for your gravy. But then you’re also getting that flavor, a deeper flavor, richer.”

The stock transforms the floury substance into a gorgeous gravy. Now, Anderson adds her next shortcut: frozen, pre-grilled chicken breasts. Covering the chicken in the gravy, it’s simmered “until the chicken comes to temperature.”

The culinary personality adds that this meal can be made even more convenient with the use of microwavable packaged rice: “I like it! It works for me.” She also reveals her hack for making her rice look like it just got done on the stove-top: the addition of freshly chopped parsley to the heated rice.

Plate the rice, nestling the chicken on top, followed by a cascade of the rich gravy.

You can find the complete recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.

Many reviewers liked Anderson’s workarounds … but one felt she’s ‘phoned it in’

One home cook kicked off the controversy by writing on Food Network’s site, “How can one even call this a recipe?? It is merely an assembly of packaged, processed garbage. This is not the first time Sunny Anderson has phoned it in. She needs to either participate fully in the show and actually cook some food or take a break. She’s becoming unwatchable.”

It should be noted that most of the other written reviews for the recipe were in favor of Anderson’s shortcuts. And her fans quickly came to her defense following this negative remark.

“I totally disagree,” one fan responded. “I love Sunny & her recipes. Plus she has a great personality & tv presentation.  Love ya Sunny, would love to meet you.”

Another Anderson defender added, “You should get your own cooking show since you seem to know a better way. I’m sure if you don’t watch Sunny it would not hurt her feelings!!”

Lastly, one home cook praised Anderson’s cooking style saying, “Well I for one work for a living! So semi-homemade turn like this is one of my favorite things that Sunny does. Apparently you have plenty of time to cook, so you can always do it the hard way if you like.”