Chicken in Creamy Cheese Sauce

I've been staying with Jeremy and, God help me, with his dad -- my ex-husband, Stuart, with whom I actually get along quite well -- for a few days while I figure out where I'm headed now. They're on the Atkins diet, on the buddy system; in exchange for their hospitality, I've not only been cooking but specifically making dinners that meet their dietary restrictions.

And just what are those dietary restrictions??? Fat: bacon, cheese, eggs, chicken, pork, beef, and a token green vegetable every once in awhile. Bleah.

Jeremy raved about it at first, as he indulged in all those foods that most diets forbid. But Stuart's not much of a cook, though he's enjoyed playing with the combination crockpot/pressure cooker his sister gave him for Christmas. Jeremy was growing most weary of seeing slabs of beef on a plate, served with ketchup.

So, when I started to slice an onion and cut up a chicken breast and pour in some cream and grate some cheese -- not to mention checking to see that 2/3 of a cup of peas would only cost 7 of the day's allotment of 20 grams of carbohydrates -- there seemed to be, shall we say, a fair amount of anticipation.

Jeremy just "mmmm"-ed and told me how nice it was to eat "real food" again. Even Stuart smiled sort of sheepishly, having tried hard but not having any particular cooking skills, and told me how much he was enjoying his meal. I was happy ... :)

I'm going to have to approximate the recipe, as I didn't have all of my usual accoutrements for scribbling notes, noting times, measuring ingredients, etc. But with items like the ones I used, you can really hardly go wrong!

Chicken in Creamy Cheese Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2" pieces
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 large red onion, halved, sliced
1/3 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup cream
3/4 teaspoon thyme
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken, salt, pepper and the onion; cook -- stirring occasionally -- to brown the chicken. When the chicken pieces are firm and the onion is caramelized, pour in the chicken broth; bring to a boil, then reduce by half. Add the cream and the thyme; let it bubble until reduced by about half. Stir in the cheese until it melts.

Serves 2 generously. Can be served over pasta or rice to serve 4.