Season the sliced chicken breasts with salt, garlic powder, and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts until golden on each side, cooked through, and no longer pink (about 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer chicken to a warm plate and set aside. You might work in batches if your skillet is too small. Wipe clean the skillet with paper towels in between.

Reduce heat to medium. Sauté the onion in the remaining cooking oil and juices in the skillet, until softened.

Smash 6 whole cloves of garlic with the flat of a knife. Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat through, mixing it through the onions. Sauté smashed garlic cloves and whole garlic cloves until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits and let simmer and reduce to half, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in the whipping cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer for about 2-3 minutes, combining all of the flavors together. Mix in the parmesan cheese. Continue cooking gently for about 2-3 minutes until cheese melts, while stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste.

Add the chicken back into the pan and let simmer for a further 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce to your liking. The chicken breast will soak up all of the delicious flavors. Garnish with bacon, parsley, and a sprinkle of cracked pepper. Serve the creamy garlic chicken over pasta, cauliflower mash, zucchini noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!