In the summertime, I love to try out new recipes. It's so much easier to play in the kitchen when we're not rushing home from work and throwing a casserole in the oven so we eat dinner sometime before Hannah's bedtime. I saw this on Lauren's blog and, when Graham told me he wouldn't be home for dinner one night, I was sold.

This was pretty easy to throw together, and it really screams "summer" to me. It's fresh and filling without being heavy. And, it's easy for a weeknight or an early dinner. Winning!

Pesto Chicken Thighs with Italian Cream Sauce
(As seen on Picky Palate)

1 lb. boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 c. prepared pesto
2 cups couscous (I used one instant-ish package from the store)
4  T. EVOO
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1 c. Philadelphia Cooking Cream: Italian Cheese & Herb

Put chicken and pesto in a large plastic bag. Mix well, coating chicken with pesto. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

When chicken is ready, heat oven to 350 F. Place chicken on a large greased baking sheet. Bake for around 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook couscous. When it's ready, combine couscous, olive oil, and cheese in a medium saucepan over low heat, heating through, about 5 minutes or so. Cover, and keep on low heat.

Warm Cooking Cream in a small saucepan until it's warm and has reached your desired thinness .

Serve warm with sauce drizzled over couscous and chicken.

Notes:

• I generally shy away from products like the cooking cream and pesto because I like to make my own ingredients, but this one actually wasn't so bad. I probably won't be rushing out to try some of the other varieties, but for nights when we're really busy I'll be keeping this in my arsenal.
• Graham doesn't like couscous, but this would be lovely with linguine or another string pasta.
• I think this would be equally good with chicken legs or breasts, but I love chicken thighs for their cheapness.