Sometimes I crave a dinner that’s filled with “comfort” flavors – you know the one I’m talking about right?
A dish that’s brimming with cheese and mushrooms and all the deep, intense flavors of wine!
Something perfectly healthy for the 17 Day Diet, of course!
Low Carb Chicken Lombardy Recipe for the 17 Day Diet
This yummy recipe is super easy to make and you’re getting a deeply flavorful dish using chicken broth instead of the traditionally used Marsala wine.
Talk about a win-win!
If you’re on another low carb weight loss program such as the 17 Day Kickstart Diet or Keto Diet, I have news for you! This recipe is perfect for you! Keep reading as I’ll give you adjustments, if any, that may need to be made.
Oh, and because this is one of my favorite recipes, I’ve added this to My Favorite Low Carb Recipes for Weight Loss post!
If you’re on Cycle 3 of the 17 Day Diet, you’ll know wine is allowed during this cycle, so feel free to add in some Marsala wine in this recipe for an even deeper rich flavor.
This Chicken Lombardy recipe is featured in my Fresh & Clean 17 Cycle 1 Meal Plan that I used for a few years for my annual Spring Challenges and the participants quickly voted this as their favorite!
And for good reason!
Once you make this recipe for your next family dinner, you’ll soon discover why it’s a crowd favorite.
Chicken Lombardy Ingredients
This Chicken Lombardy recipe features really simple ingredients such as chicken, mushrooms, garlic, Italian Seasoning, chicken broth and a few different cheeses to top it off!
The cream cheese melted into the mushroom sauce makes this super rich and velvety.
The sauce is probably the best part!
How to Make Extra Sauce
Like I mention above, the sauce is the best part. If you want to enjoy extra sauce, I’d recommend increasing two ingredients as follows:
1. Chicken Broth
In this recipe to make extra sauce increase your chicken broth from 1/2 cup to 1 cup.
2. Cream Cheese
The cream cheese in this Chicken Lombardy recipe is actually what makes the sauce thick.
Rather than using cornstarch or flour to thicken, we’re using cream cheese.
To make extra sauce, increase your cream cheese from 2 oz to 4 oz. If you feel like it needs to be thickened a bit more, add more cream cheese until you get the consistency you desire.
Browning to Add More Flavor
Whenever I’m making a dish that is covered in cheese, I always make sure to brown it a bit in the oven.
It adds such a beautiful color and flavor!
Besides the yummy sauce, I also love the slightly browned cheese on top! It’s simply divine!
This is one of those recipes that is super easy to make, even after a long day at the office.
Plus, leftovers taste even better the next day, so you could easily save a bit of time in the kitchen if you don’t mind feasting on leftovers a few nights in a row!
It’s really that good, so I’m sure you won’t mind!
Side Dishes Served with Chicken Lombardy
There are a lot of different ways to serve Chicken Lombardy as a complete meal.
Here are a few side dishes to serve with your new favorite recipe organized by the different cycles of the 17 Day Diet:
Side Dish Ideas for Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet
- Nice garden salad with a vinaigrette dressing (try this Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing)
- Your favorite vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower or oven roasted cabbage slices (you could use this Italian Roasted Vegetables Recipe to get you started)
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower would be perfect!
- Mock Mashed Potatoes (Cauliflower) would be a great alternative to potatoes for Cycle 1
Side Dish Ideas for Cycle 2 of the 17 Day Diet
- A small serving of Basmati Rice or Brown Rice if you’re on Cycle 2 (make sure you eat this for lunch if you’re serving with rice)
- Mashed potatoes would be a perfect side dish, but make sure you eat this before 2pm
Side Dish Ideas for Cycle 3 of the 17 Day Diet
- A light pasta if you’re on Cycle 3 (make sure you make extra sauce if you’re pairing this dish with pasta)
Other Spring Cleanse Detox Recipes
I mention earlier in this post that this Chicken Lombardy recipe was created for my annual Spring Cleanse Challenge where we used my Fresh & Clean 17 Cycle 1 Meal Plan (this plan is now available during the Spring and Summer months).
If you enjoy this recipe, you may want to try out these other Fresh & Clean 17 recipes:
- Lemony Chicken and Kale Detox Soup
- Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry
- Chicken Cabbage & Broccoli Stir Fry
- Keto Salmon with Lemon Dijon Sauce
Other Low Carb Recipes You Might Enjoy
If you find you really love this recipe as much as I do, then you might like some of my other recipes for the 17 Day Diet:
- Green Chili Chicken Enchilada with Cauliflower (this is one of my favorites)
- Chicken and Broccoli Bake
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Yogurt Sauce (this is a must-try recipe)
- Chicken, Mushroom & Broccoli Casserole
Chicken Lombardy for the 17 Day Diet
As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is approved for Cycle 1 as it was created specifically for my cycle 1 meal plan, Fresh & Clean 17.
If you’re not sure which foods are allowed during this cycle, make sure you check out my 17 Day Diet Cycle 1 Food List.
You can also check out my book on Amazon called Fast Track Your Weight Loss With the 17 Day Diet which has all the food lists (and a 7 day meal plan, too!).
17 Day Kickstart Diet Chicken Lombardy Recipe
If you happen to be on the 17 Day Kickstart Diet, you can certainly use this recipe for the 10-Day Stabilize Phase. However, you’ll want to consider making a few adjustments, depending on your preference.
According to the 17 Day Kickstart Diet Food List, easily digestible cheeses (ie. Cheddar, Parmesan, Swiss, Blue Cheese) are preferred starting in the last phase, the 10-Day Stabilize Phase.
While cream cheese isn’t necessarily on the list of preferred cheeses, it is used in this recipe to help thicken the sauce. I personally think it will be fine to use.
With that said, here are my recommendations to make this recipe more compliant for the 17 Day Kickstart Diet:
- Use the following cheeses to replace Mozzarella in this recipe:
- Cheddar, Swiss, or more Parmesan (a combo of all three would be fine, too).
Keto Diet Chicken Lombardy Recipe
If you happen to find this blog, but you’re on the Keto Diet, this recipe is perfect for you!
You can easily use this recipe as-is and be just fine. However, if you’re the type that likes to cut carbs even more, consider either decreasing the amount of onion you use, or omit it all together.
If you’re new to keto, make sure you check out my Keto Diet Beginner’s Guide.
Are you unsure of which foods are keto friendly? Make sure you check out my Keto Diet Food List.
Have you tried this Chicken Lombardy recipe?
If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe below. If you made this dish, snap a pic, post on social and tag me @17ddblog and/or use hashtag #17ddblog.
Chicken Lombardy
Bold and rich flavors are featured in this Chicken Lombardy recipe. Chicken broth is used in place of traditional Marsala Wine and it's perfect for any low-carb diet!
Ingredients
- 2 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in half length-wise
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
- Small Carton of Sliced Mushrooms
- Small Onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ Cup Chicken Broth
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil on medium high heat. Brown chicken breasts on each side for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Place browned chicken into a baking dish. Set aside.
- Add 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil to skillet and add mushrooms, onions and Italian Seasoning and sauté until mushrooms start to become tender and onions translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Season mushroom mixture with salt and pepper and add garlic cloves and sauté for anther 30 seconds.
- Next, add chicken broth and cream cheese to skillet and mix well to combine lifting any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Once cream cheese has melted and sauce is thickened up a bit, pour the sauce mixture over the chicken.
- Top chicken and sauce with mozzarella cheese, followed by Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Baking time will depend on thickness of chicken.
- Once cooked through, place under the broiler to allow the cheese to brown.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
17 Day Diet: Approved for all cycles.
17 Day Kickstart Diet: Approved for 10-Day Stabilize Phase. If you want to be 100% compliant, use more Parmesan cheese and/or Cheddar/Swiss to replace the Mozzarella.
Keto Diet: You can certainly use this recipe as-is. However, if you want to cut the carbs even more, omit the onion (or use less)
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I’ve been loving the 17 Day Diet since 2011. I love sharing my favorite healthy recipes and meal plans to keep you motivated and on the right path to success!
When I’m not hanging out here, I enjoy quick trips to the Oregon Coast, designing my jewelry line, being a proud Swiftie, and tinkering with my personal Youtube Channel!
Are you new to the 17 Day Diet? Check out my latest book, Fast Track Your Weight Loss With The 17 Day Diet on Amazon! (aff link)
I’m sorry, why is there mozzarella, parmesan and cream cheese in this Cycle One Accelerate recipe? I thought the only dairy allowed was 2 probiotics a day. This diet is confusing and this recipe doesn’t help.
Hi Mary Lynne, if you check out the Cycle 1 Food List, you’ll see non-fat cheese is listed under the condiment section to be used in moderation. I personally stay away from anything non-fat due to all the added ingredients put back in to make it taste better. A little less of a lower or fuller fat is better. Here is the cycle 1 food list where you’ll see the condiment section near the end: https://17ddblog.com/food-lists/cycle-1/
I was wondering the same thing in this recipe about the cheeses. I don’t like fat free for the same reasons you mentioned. So are you using low fat or full fat instead? And if so I am assuming that it is a bit of a cheat on cycle 1, correct?
Hi Dayla, I always try to go for a full fat, but you’ll see a lot more low fat (like mozzarella for instance) in the store. Lower fat is always my second choice. In terms of a “cheat”, I’d say using full (or lower fat) of any type of food is just a better and cleaner way to eat, so while I don’t see it as a “cheat”, I still think it should be used in moderation (as stated in the condiment section of the cycle 1 food list) as it relates specifically to the 17 Day Diet.
Hi Tory,
Iam in day 10 if cycle 1.my concern is also cheese.This recipe calls for alot and I don’t want to get used to using to much.is there an alternative.
Hi Linda! If you’re having only one serving of this dish (it’s a 4-serving meal), then it’s really not that much cheese. If it’s still a concern, you can always cut back on the cheese topping if you wish. I’d stick to the 2oz of cream cheese for the sauce as that’s what helps it thicken (not to mention a bit of flavor)!
Loved your recipe, Torey! I prefer including chicken in a healthy diet because it is lean meat and doesn’t have much fat. And, eating it regularly can actually help you lose weight in a healthy way.
Can I substitute something for mushrooms? I don’t like them.
Mary you may customize this recipe all you want! I think bell pepper would be tasty (red/orange/yellow) and even roasted cauliflower (roast first to help release the water and to give it extra flavor!) would be very yummy! If you do try another veggie, come back and let me know what you did and how you liked it!
Torey, this recipe is a treasure! Chicken Lombardy is a cheesy variant of Chicken Marsala cooked to perfection with mozzarella cheese and mushrooms. The savory chicken covered with melty cheese, Marsala wine, mushrooms is a delectable delicacy that should not be missed. But, for me, the best aspect of this recipe is how quickly it can be prepared.
This dish was delicious! I didn’t have any mozzarella but it was still awesome. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Sandy, I’m so happy to hear this!