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
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Preheat oven to 350° F.
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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.
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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.
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In the same pan, add the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft.
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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!
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Add the white wine and scrape up the chicken bits using your wooden spoon.
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Add the spinach and sun dried tomatoes and cook until the spinach is completely wilted about 4-5 minutes.
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Pour the chicken stock in the pan and reduce half the liquid.
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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.
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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.
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Top with the Fontina cheese and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
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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.