Tuscany Chicken
A delicious marriage of flavors! This Tuscany Chicken is a definite easy crowd pleaser and a perfect date night meal to impress anyone! The pleasant underlying note of the shallots and garlic gives the sauce a pleasant base for the delicate flavors of the white wine and Fontina cheese. Try out this meal for your family and friends this week!
A Dish Made with Amore
There was this amazing restaurant literally 3 minutes from my house in New Jersey that served Italian food that was out of this world! It was called Cafe Amore. I first went there with my wife while we were dating. We ate there many more times after that, especially on our anniversary. We loved all their food, especially their Tiramisu. Oh my – I have never had any as good! It’s a place we share amore, or love, on many occasions.
Unfortunately, Cafe Amore burned to the ground. My favorite meal there was the Chicken Amore. It was stuffed chicken breast with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto, and fontina cheese over a delicate demi glace. So I set out to copy that meal as closely as possible.
This is still the perfect date night meal!
My Tuscany Chicken
When I first made this meal, I stuffed the chicken. That was the easy part. The challenge was the sauce. While my final creation is not the same, it is still out of this world delicious!
Stuffing the chicken became time consuming, so I now make a deconstructed version. After I cook the chicken, I saute the ingredients that would be used as the stuffing with the sauce. I place the chicken in a casserole pan and pour the sauce and “stuffing” over top of it, then, I sprinkle the fontina cheese on top and stick it in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
What Ingredients Are in Tuscany Chicken?
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- All Purpose Flour
- Olive Oil
- Shallots
- Fresh Garlic
- White Wine (I use Chardonnay)
- Baby Spinach
- Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Baby Bella Mushrooms
- Chicken Stock
- Cornstarch
- Butter
- Fontina Cheese
- Fresh Basil
Ingredient Notes
White Wine – I use chardonnay, but you can use a blanc or pinot grigio as well.
Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes – as soon as I open the bottle, I add some capers, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried parsley to the jar and let it sit overnight before I use them. It has a huge flavor impact!
Baby Bella Mushrooms – white button mushrooms will work as well
Chicken Stock – I love to have my own homemade chicken stock on hand. If I don’t I exclusively use Better Than Bouillon for all of my stock. It’s the best stuff out there.
Fontina Cheese – fontina is so creamy and rich. You can substitute gruyère or gouda. Provolone would work, too.
How Is Tuscany Chicken Made?
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Trim the chicken breasts and cut into 4 pieces each, trying to keep the pieces similar in size. Pound the pieces flat so they are equal thickness. Season each piece with salt and pepper. Coat the pieces with flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once, heated, cook the chicken pieces in batches. You may need to add some olive oil between batches. As they are cooked, place in a single layer in a baking pan or casserole dish.
- In the same pan, add the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft.
- Next, add in the shallots and garlic and season with a little salt. Saute about 1-2 minutes. This can burn easily, so pay attention!
- Add the white wine and scrape up the chicken bits using your wooden spoon.
- Add the spinach and sun dried tomatoes and cook until the spinach is completely wilted about 4-5 minutes.
- Pour the chicken stock in the pan and reduce half the liquid.
- Mix about 1 tablespoon of water and cornstarch in a small cup or bowl (called a “slurry”). Allow the liquid to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Then stir in the butter.
- After the butter has dissolved and is mixed in, taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour the gravy over the chicken in the baking pan or casserole dish.
- Top with the Fontina cheese and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- After taking the dish out of the oven, top with the fresh basil.
What Would You Recommend Serving with Tuscany Chicken?
Pictures is our Creamy Polenta recipe. We absolutely love the combination. Here are a few other suggestions:
French Green Beans (Haricot Verts) with Sliced Garlic and Mushrooms
Asparagus with Garlic and Butter
What Can I Do with the Leftovers?
They will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge. They can also be frozen up to 6 months. Reheat them in the oven or on the stove. Be careful not to overcook them if you use the microwave
Useful Kitchen Tools
I don’t know what I would do without these amazing kitchen tools. I use all of these at least once a week, some I use every day. None of these are sponsors. However, the links below are brands I trust and use regularly. I highly recommend these product to make your life in the kitchen easier.
Other Amazing Recipes That You’ll Love!
Click on these links for other great Italian recipes! Or type in “Italian” in the search bar to find even more recipes!
Tuscany Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Tuscany Chicken
A delicious marriage of flavors! The pleasant underlying note of the shallots and garlic give the sauce base for the delicate flavors of the white wine and Fontina cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Shallots, diced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- ½ Cup White Wine (I use Chardonnay)
- 5 Ounces Baby Spinach
- ½ Cup Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes, diced
- 4 Ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Cup Fontina Cheese, shredded
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Fresh Basil, sliced
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350° F.
-
Trim the chicken breasts and cut into 4 pieces each, trying to keep the pieces similar in size. Pound the pieces flat so they are equal thickness. Season each piece with salt and pepper. Coat the pieces with flour, shaking off the excess.
-
Heat 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once, heated, cook the chicken pieces in batches. You may need to add some olive oil between batches. As they are cooked, place in a single layer in a baking pan or casserole dish.
-
In the same pan, add the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft.
-
Next, add in the shallots and garlic and season with a little salt. Saute about 1-2 minutes. This can burn easily, so pay attention!
-
Add the white wine and scrape up the chicken bits using your wooden spoon.
-
Add the spinach and sun dried tomatoes and cook until the spinach is completely wilted about 4-5 minutes.
-
Pour the chicken stock in the pan and reduce half the liquid.
-
Mix about 1 tablespoon of water and cornstarch in a small cup or bowl (called a "slurry"). Allow the liquid to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Then stir in the butter.
-
After the butter has dissolved and is mixed in, taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour the gravy over the chicken in the baking pan or casserole dish.
-
Top with the Fontina cheese and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
-
After taking the dish out of the oven, top with the fresh basil.
Recipe Notes
White Wine - I use chardonnay, but you can use a blanc or pinot grigio as well.
Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes - as soon as I open the bottle, I add some capers, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried parsley to the jar and let it sit overnight before I use them. It has a huge flavor impact!
Baby Bella Mushrooms - white button mushrooms will work as well
Chicken Stock - I love to have my own homemade chicken stock on hand. If I don't I exclusively use Better Than Bouillon for all of my stock. It's the best stuff out there.
Fontina Cheese - fontina is so creamy and rich. You can substitute gruyère or gouda. Provolone would work, too.
