Italian chicken
One of our go-to week night dinners is what we call Italian Chicken. It is a simple recipe with simple pantry items, but is anything but simple on taste. It is can be on the table in 30 minutes, so it is great for a busy family or someone who just wants to enjoy the night after a tasty meal!
Start with about one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet. I always have a large Costco sized bag of chicken breasts in the freezer. If you are buying fresh from the grocery store, pound the chicken out with a mallet or heavy pan/skillet so that it is an even thickness. Brown the chicken on each side (~4 minutes). Once the chicken is browned and cooked through (the juices should run clear), remove from the pan on to a plate.
In the same skillet add another tablespoon of olive oil and three cloves of garlic minced. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use minced garlic from a jar (I know Rachael or Martha would probably not approve, but it’s a busy week night dinner ~ am I right?). Saute’ the garlic for 30-60 seconds until it is golden and fragrant. ***ADVICE ALERT*** Garlic goes from golden and fragrant to black and pungent in no time! Keep a close eye on the garlic while cooking it in a skillet. You’ll be happy you did or you may need to start over again.
Once the garlic is saute’ed, add about 1/2-3/4 cup of dry white wine (or whatever white you have open), and a pint of grape tomatoes that have been cut in half. Let the tomatoes cook in the for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften, then add one cup of chicken stock. Turn the heat down to low, add the chicken back into the skillet and let everything simmer for about ten minutes. Option: sometimes I add a little Parmesan cheese to the tomatoes to thicken the sauce slightly. It adds a little more dimension to the dish.
Once the chicken is heated through, top it with your favorite mozzarella cheese and cover the skillet with a lid so the cheese can melt. Then I top each chicken breast with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. If you want to get fancy and have fresh basil on hand, cut it into ribbons and use it as a garnish. Your cheesy, garlicky, saucy Italian chicken is complete!!!
To serve, you can place your chicken on a bed of your favorite pasta. Another great way to serve this chicken is on top of spaghetti squash that we bake in the oven and shred onto our plates first. It is an easy weeknight staple and super simple to cook! It’s one of the homestead’s favorites and I hope it will be one of yours too!
ITALIAN CHICKEN
- 2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1-1 1/2 lb of chicken breasts (3-4) pounded even thickness
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 Cup of white wine
- 1 Cup of Chicken Stock
- Mozzarella Cheese – either 1 Cup shredded or four slices
- Balsamic Glaze
- Fresh Basil that has been cut into ribbons
- salt &pepper
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper, and brown on each side (3-4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining one tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Saute’ the minced garlic for 30-60 seconds until golden brown and fragrant.
- Add the wine and tomatoes. Cover skillet and cook until the tomatoes are softened (~3 minutes). Then add the chicken stock. Turn the heat down to low and add the chicken back to the skillet. Let everything simmer to warm the chicken through.
- Top each chicken breast with mozzarella cheese and cover the skillet to allow it to melt. Once the cheese is melted, drizzle with Balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh basil.
- Serve on a bed of pasta or spaghetti squash
