I just made this recipe about three weeks ago, I loved every forkful. It is from the Olive Garden website.

Stuffed Chicken Marsala
Prep Time:
40 min
Cook Time:
40 min
Serving Size:
Ingredients

Cheese Stuffing

1/2 cup smoked shredded cheese (provolone or gouda)

8-oz package mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp fresh garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed

2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato flakes (drain first if in oil)

1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced

3/4 cup sour cream (6 oz)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Sauce

1 small onion, cut in half and thinly sliced lengthwise

24 fl oz Marsala wine

8 fl oz heavy cream

2 small containers button mushrooms, thinly sliced (6 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 fl oz olive oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

Procedures
Pre-heat oven to 350ðF. 1) COMBINE all cheese stuffing ingredients in a mixing bowl. 2) BUTTERFLY thickest section of chicken breasts to create 2 lobes. Pound each breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until üâ - ýâ thick. 3) PLACE flattened chicken breasts on a plate and place desired amount of stuffing on one lobe of each chicken breast. Gently press stuffing down so it resembles a hockey puck. 4) FOLD over other lobe of chicken breast; does not have to seal. 5) HEAT large sauté pan over medium heat. 6) ADD olive oil and heat until shimmering. 7) PLACE flour in a shallow pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. 8) DREDGE stuffed chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess. 9) SAUTE chicken breasts with preheated oil, cooking until each side is golden brown. 10) REMOVE chicken from pan and place in a baking dish. 11) BAKE for 10-20 minutes, or until juices run clean and center of chicken reaches 165ðF. 12) ADD onions to sauté pan, and stir to loosen chicken drippings. After 2 minutes, add mushrooms and sauté until onions are translucent. 13) DEGLAZE pan with Marsala wine �" make sure to incorporate drippings from bottom of pan. 14) HEAT wine to a simmer and add heavy cream. Simmer on low heat until reduced by half. 15) PLACE cooked chicken breasts on a plate and top each with onions, mushrooms and sauce. 16) SERVE with your favorite garlic mashed potato recipe.

Nancy

I use this recipe, interchangeably with either turkey or chicken. I cut it from a magazine page decades ago. It's so simple it's almost ridiculous and really tasty! I usually cut the meat into 4-6 oz pieces and pound them to about 1/2 inch thick.

Turkey Marsala

1lb turkey breast
2T butter
3T flour
2tsp instant chicken boullion
1/4tsp garlic powder
1c water
1/2c dry Marsala wine
1c sliced fresh mushrooms

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Brown the turkey, turning once. Place turkey on serving platter, cover to keep warm.

Combine flour, boullion and garlic powder in bowl. Gradually stir in water and wine. Add to skillet and cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Add mushrooms and heat one minute more. Pour half of sauce over turkey, pass remaining sauce. 4 servings.

Linda

Beth you are NOT the only one on this forum who has never made it! And I've only eaten it once, at a wedding reception. Linda's recipe sounds easy enough for me to try. I guess I'll be buying some Marsala wine next time I go to the grocery store!

I'm like tami_ohio. Eaten once, never made. What is marsala wine? Also have never seen in a cookbook. I want to try this.

I make chicken marsala quite a bit with a recipe I got from my favorite restaurant (now gone). It's easy and oh, so good!

This recipe serves 4

For the chicken:
4 chicken breasts, pounded thin
salt/pepper
2 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil

Pound chicken until very thin. Mix salt, pepper and flour, Dredge chicken in flour and shake to remove excess. Heat a heavy skillet and melt butter. Add olive oil. When hot, lightly brown chicken on both sides and remove from fry pan to oven-going pan. Keep the chicken warm in a 200 degree oven.

Marsala Sauce
3 TBS olive oil
1/4 c. onion, diced
1 TBS garlic, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 TBS flour
1/2 cup Marsala wine (or more)
1.5 cups chicken broth
Salt/pepper to taste

In drippings from pan used to brown chicken, saute onions 2-3 minutes then add garlic and mushrooms. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender but not browned. Remove pan from heat and stir in flour then cook about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with Marsala wine. Add broth and cook until thickened. The recipe at this point puts the chicken back in the pan to simmer for 15 minutes. I like to simply plate the chicken and pour the broth over it.

The thing I hate about this format is that any kind of recipe looks so LONG because the space we use is so narrow!!

Ironically, I got this from another vegetarian, but I wanted to make something for Jerry and guests for our anniversary/valentine virtual dinner, so I made Chickan Marsala for the first time the other day. I got this from LPink. It's a recipe from Fabio of Top Chef fame. I made it using a mix of portabella, button and a few shitake mushrooms (too expensive to use what he recommends). All the meat eaters loved it. (I subbed a portabella mushroom for me, and I doubled the recipe to make enough for everyone.) Oh, and Jerry, who picked up the Marsala, got dry instead of sweet, which the recipe calls for. I've never had Marsala wine before, Nor Chicken Marsala, so I have no idea how it would have tasted with the sweet. Everyone liked the dry version.

CHICKEN PICCATA WITH MARSALA SAUCE

Recipe by Fabio Viviani
Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup sliced oyster or shitake mushrooms
1 sprig thyme
1 cup sweet Marsala wine
ü cup heavy cream
Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Method:
In a non-stick pan, add the butter and let it melt. Add the fresh thyme as well to heat through.
Add 3 cloves of smashed garlic and the mushrooms, sliced.
Season the entire pan with salt and pepper. Let cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and crisp.
Meanwhile pound 2 chicken breasts with a mallet till they are even (about ý inch thick).
Dredge each chicken breast in flour and shake off the excess flour.
Heat olive oil in a separate non-stick pan. Add the floured chicken breasts and cook them for about two minutes on each side.
Add sweet Marsala wine to the chicken and let it burn off and start to reduce.
Add the cooked mushrooms, garlic and thyme to the chicken pan, then pour on the heavy cream.
Once the cream reduces and the sauce is thick, plate the chicken and top with remaining sauce.
MANGIA!

There's a link to Fabio's video showing him making it in the Valentine Virtual Dinner thread.

Sally

We use this recipe from Women's Health - it's a healthier version and v good

Healthy Cooking: Chicken Marsala

Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min

3 Tbsp whole-wheat flour
3 Tbsp white flour
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 - 1 1/2 lb chicken cutlets
3 c sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp thinly sliced shallots
1/2 c Marsala wine
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaf

1. In a shallow bowl, combine flours and pepper. Dredge chicken in mixture and set aside.

2. Lightly coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Add chicken and sauté until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove cutlets to a plate and keep warm.

3. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add wine to pan. Reduce to a glaze, scraping any loose brown bits from bottom of pan.

5. Reduce heat and add broth, parsley, and thyme. Stir; cook until broth reduces by half.

6. Return chicken to pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 224 cal, 2 g fat (1 g sat), 400 g sodium, 20 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 27 g protein

Make it a meal
Mash 1/2 cup boiled red bliss potatoes (leave the skins on for maximum nutrition) with 1 Tbsp fat-free cream cheese, 1 Tbsp skim milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside 1/2 cup peeled, sliced carrots that have been boiled, drained, and glazed with 1 tsp honey. This pair of belly-filling sides adds a mere 116 calories, for a dinnertime total of 340.

No, Beth, I've never made it either. I had it in a restaurant, didn't like it. I had it again when a friend made it and didn't care for it then either.

So, I made it at home without the wine and I liked that, but that's not Chicken Marsala, is it? (grin)

Annie

LOL Annie! The only time I've had it was at my cousin's wedding reception. It was very good. Now mind you, I may very well not like it any other time! I am SUCH a picky eater. I don't like trying new things either!

Tami

Beachlily's recipe is pretty close to the way I make it as well.
However, I prefer to use "madeira" wine when making Chicken "Marsalla". To me it seems very similar but I think it adds just a bit more flavor and ends up more like the entree I get at a favorite restaurant. Maybe if I bought more expensive wine it would be different. Anyone else experiment with the wine?

I make Fabio's version, except I don't use cream I use soy milk, and I sub whatever wine I have on hand. That's not chicken marsala but it is good. That's chicken with mushrooms and a creamy wine sauce! The reason I use a touch of cream is because I don't like broth sauces thickened with flour. The only thickener I use is the little bit of flour that I dredge the chicken in before sauteeing. I basically thicken the sauce by reducing it. It is good without marsala, using other wines, but then it isn't your "go to" chicken marsala recipe! It's still one of my "go to" recipes though. The cream, though not strictly traditional, makes a nice contrast to the wine, IMHO. But not as "healthy."

Annie, I do love you, lady, but give me a break! I love chicken marsala the way it's usually made. I do love wine. However, I don't eat beef so I don't comment when people who do show recipes for it. And rare ... we even order our pizza well done. What do we know? Just what we like.

I'm going to make Fettuccine Alfredo this weekend. Didn't have it at Christmas (our Italian friend from Naples, Italy, gave us a huge pan of Lasagna and we still have two pieces in the freezer). Saving it for after the kitchen demo which is March 11. Not making our noodles, but the recipe I use is better, in my opinion, then our Italian friend's recipe. I tried to order it this week at their restaurant, and my husband cautioned me not to do it. He doesn't like their dish either.

Life is made of opinions and tastes. What suits you, I yawn. What suits me, you might cringe. That's the way it is. Chicken Marsala will be on the menu next week!

Thanks to all of you for sharing your recipes. I've saved them and will try them very soon, so I can say I've added Chicken Marsala to my repertoire. I thought lvmadison's comment about using Madeira instead of Marsala was interesting. I have a friend (the gluten free friend I was referencing on my other thread) who regularly makes Chicken Marsala, but substitutes Madeira for Marsala for the same reasons lv gave. I will try that substitution, as well, as I cook my way through to my favorite version of Chicken Marsala/Madeira.

beachlily, I only replied because the OP stated that she was probably the only person on this forum who had never made Chicken Marsala. Tami and Debrak have never made it either. Tami has eaten it and liked it, Debra has never had it.

I haven't made it but only because I did not care for either of the versions I had. I figured that if I didn't mention that I didn't like it when I had it I would get a chorus of "oh, no, you HAVE to try it, it's delicious."

Annie

DebraK, marsala is a fortified wine that comes in a dry and a sweet version.

Dry is used for savory dishes, like the chicken, while the sweet is often used for desserts, such a flavoring lady fingers. Both can be served as an aperatif before a meal, and the sweet served after dinner with a good strong coffee.

Oh yes Annie, I've been there! The "if I love it, so will you"! Oh well, making changes to a dish to make it more palatable only makes sense. If a recipe tastes good one way, there's no reason to think that it wouldn't taste good with adjustments. The list of ingredients of the Chicken Marsala is simple but yummy!

Unlike PK, I use the sweet wine. I guess you can use either. I did check and Martha and Tyler Florence have recipes where they specify sweet so I'm not totally off base.

I've been happy with Cook's Illustrated's recipe. I typically julienne thick-cut prosciutto and use that in place of the pancetta, and I tend to use cremini rather than white mushrooms. Other than that though, unfortunately I can't remember what changes I made that warranted it a "best ever chicken marsala" vote from my wife when I made it last, as posted on WFD 328.

Cooks Illustrated - Chicken Marsala

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
1cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Table salt
Ground black pepper
2tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2ounces pancetta (about 3 slices), cut into pieces 1 inch long and 1/8 inch wide
8ounces white mushrooms , sliced (about 2 cups)
1medium clove garlic , minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1teaspoon tomato paste
1 1/2cups marsala wine (sweet)
1 1/2tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon
4tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, softened
2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place large heatproof dinner plate on oven rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes. Pat chicken breasts dry. Meanwhile, place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour. Lift breast from tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside. Add oil to hot skillet and heat until shimmering. Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.

2. Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel--lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; sauté, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta; sauté while stirring until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

FOAS, the recipe I posted from Fabio that I got through LPink called for sweet Marsala, but I didn't remember to tell Jerry to specifically get the sweet. He bought the dry on the advice of the liquor store employee. I didn't see the point in buying another bottle just to get the 1/2 cup of sweet, so I used the dry. The people eating it enjoyed it.

I have never had sweet Marsala. This was the first time I've even had it at all. It kind of reminds me of Sherry. Other than both being fortified wines, are they related?

Sally

Sally, in a sidebar CI specifically calls for sweet over dry. They also call for Italian over domestic. All I can find is domestic; it's not labeled but it tastes pretty sweet to me, but then so does dry sherry!

beachlily, I agree, the ingredients are simple and yummy and the recipe I used was very similar to yours and called for sweet Marsala, not dry.

Annie

I made Beachlily's recipe tonight. Check out my post at the link. Pics included.

Tami

Here is a link that might be useful: chicken marsala

Our small liquor store that we use only carries one brand of Marsala. Cantina Florio, made in Sicily. About $14. He's good in that if there are specialty items he tries to carry a good brand. Sweet is meant to be used for Marsala. Around here I've never had Chicken Marsala made with cream. I posted how I made mine in the Valentines Virtual Dinner. I used boneless chicken this time, but we often make it with bone on chicken because it has better flavor. Saute chicken, floured or not, remove from pan, saute shallots and mushrooms, deglaze with the Marsala, add some chicken broth, add back chicken and cook until chicken is done and sauce is reduced a bit. Sometimes we use onion and a little garlic instead of the shallots.

It's been a long time since I posted, but I lurk from time to time. Here is my go to Marsala, that I saved from here--holy cow, almost 7 years ago. How time flies!

I use Penzeys whole leaf sage instead of fresh, and I throw in shallots and mushrooms. I find that I prefer a dry Marsala to sweet.

RE: Favorite Chicken Recipes
Posted by: clairebuoyant (My Page) on Tue, Apr 11, 06 at 20:43
Here is my favorite Chicken Marsala recipe...quick and easy with LOTS of flavor. The only thing I add is a shallot or two to the sauce. I use much less butter than called for.

CHICKEN MARSALA WITH SAGE
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, each halved horizontally
All purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 cup imported dry Marsala
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
Fresh sage leaves
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dust with flour; shake off excess. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped sage; sauté 1 minute. Add half of chicken. Sauté until brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Repeat with remaining butter and chicken. Tent chicken with foil. Add Marsala and broth to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; spoon over chicken. Garnish with sage leaves.
Makes 4 servings.
Bon Appétit
May 2002

This post was edited by sharon_s on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 8:15

How fun to see this recipe still floating around!