Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Mascarpone and White Wine Sauce

Submitted by TOOLBELT DIVA

"An Italian Recipe developed for World Tour and Recipe Swap contest, September, 2005. If you cannot purchase chipolline onions locally, you may use Shallots"

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 8 chipolline onions, chopped fine
• 1 portabella mushroom, chopped fine
• 1⁄4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped fine
• 1⁄2 cup fresh spinach, lightly steamed
• 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper, from the mill
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil

• For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1⁄2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped fine

directions

1. With your mallet or tenderizer, pound chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thick; set aside until ready to use.
2. Clarify sweet chipolline onions in a little oil; remove from pan and set aside until ready to use.
3. Cook garlic until just golden in colour; remove from pan and set aside with the onions.
4. Cook chopped mushrooms until liquid dissipates, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Brown ground chicken, using about 2 tbsp oil, add oil as required.
6. To the ground chicken add onions, garlic, mushrooms, parsley, oregano and black pepper to taste.
7. Stir constantly for 5 or 6 minutes, to blend flavours.
8. Steam spinach until just wilted; remove from pan and squeeze dry.
9. Chop spinach, coarse; add parmesan cheese, and mix together.
10. Divide ground chicken mixture evenly, and spoon onto one half of each flattened chicken breasts.
11. Divide spinach mixture evenly, and spoon over chicken mixture.
12. Top the mixture(s) with a slice of provalone.
13. Fold the other half of chicken breast over the mixture(s), and press the edges together to form a pouch.
14. Brown each pouch on both sides; reduce heat, cover pan and continue cooking until done; 10-12 minutes.
15. Remove cooked chicken to plates and spoon sauce over pouches. Serve hot with vegetables or pasta (your choice).
16. For the sauce: Melt butter in a pan
17. Add corn starch, stirring constantly with your whisk, to blend.
18. Add mascarpone cheese.
19. Continue to stir with your whisk while slowly adding dry white wine.
20. When cheese is blended thoroughly with the mixture, add fresh basil.
21. Mix well and spoon sauce over finished chicken breasts.

Reviews

[MotleyCook]

Overall, a pretty good dish... good recipe for a festive occasion.<br/><br/>It did take me a good two hours to prepare -- more time than the recipe states -- so I knocked it off half a point for that. <br/><br/>I used mixed gourmet mushrooms rather than the portabella because the latter had gone bad by the time I got around to making this recipe (!), but otherwise I followed the recipe to the letter. To save a little money, if I make this recipe again, I'd probably just use regular cream cheese rather than mascarpone. I'd also be a little more careful with the wine... this time around, the sauce seemed a little too winey to me, so I also knocked off half a point for that. (Husband and daughter liked it, though. Try and taste is the best advice I can give on that one, I guess ;)

 

[CabinKat]

I would have given this recipe 5 stars but the sauce kinda ruined it for me. It had gotten way too thick and there was far too much basil for me. I am going to try this again, because I really like a basic cream sauce to use with pork, fish, & chicken. I will be using arrowroot instead of corn starch, this will keep it from thickening after it's done cooking and I won't use near as much basil, maybe 1/4 of it. I believe this will make it a little better.

 

[CountryLady]

A word of caution if you make this dish - you need big breasts! I had too much filling as mine were rather small. Aside from scaling for 2 servings, I used shallots & dried oregano ...... otherwise, I followed the recipe..... served with rice & steamed spinach. The sauce was very good; I would double the amount next time. Thanx ER!

 

[Elly in Canada]

This dish was prepared for me by the chef IT'S Me Toolbelt!! A great combination of flavours, loved the richness of the cream sauce and the taste of the fresh herbs! It was delicious TB, thank you!