This stuffed chicken marsala is an even more delicious twist on the classic Italian dish with melted mozzarella, sweet and savory tomato butter and fresh basil cooked inside the chicken.
Slice each chicken breast so that you butterfly the breast, creating a pocket for stuffing, do not slice all the way through.
Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Spread tomato butter on the inside flesh, top with mozzarella slices, fresh basil and a little more tomato butter. Close the chicken up and secure with toothpicks around the entire opening (*see note for method). Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
Once sealed, season the tops of each chicken breast with more salt and pepper as well as the dried basil and parsley.
Place the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
To the same skillet, add the garlic, chicken broth, wine and milk. Whisk together until combined. Add the mushrooms, stir gently. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon some of the liquid on top of the chicken then transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce is reduced and thickened.
Remove from the oven, garnish with parsley and sun-dried tomatoes and serve. (*see note for a thicker sauce)
Notes
-I break the toothpicks in half so that they're not too long and don't get in the way while cooking. Place toothpicks pretty close together so that the cheese and tomato butter don't seep out while cooking.-If you want a thicker sauce, remove chicken breasts to a plate once out of the oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Place the skillet on the stove-top over medium-high heat and cook until sauce is reduced and thickened (about 5 minutes). Return chicken to the skillet right before serving and spoon the sauce over the top.**It seems that Nuts.com no longer carries the original tomato butter used in this recipe. For something similar, try out this tomato apple butter recipe.