When did I first make this meal? I have no idea . Was there a special occasion? Maybe.
What I do know is that I posted this on my other website where my alter-ego lives. It was one of the first recipes that I recorded there. Since then, I've found my voice on that web place, and it isn't merely posting recipes. I explore individual food ingredients, delve into their history, and then find interesting ways to use that specific ingredient.
So, those "early postings" I will move here. One at a time. This one is (in my humble opinion) pretty good. I hope you enjoy it.
Chicken Gorgonzola with Marsala Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 6 medium boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 strips of bacon or turkey bacon
- 1/2 small onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/3 cup marsala wine
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to an oven-safe medium
sauté pan and heat to medium-high. Place the thighs in the pan and reduce the heat to low. Saute until the underside is beautifully golden, about 7-8 minutes. Turn the thighs over. Transer the saute pan to the preheated oven and roast the thighs until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Remove the thighs to a plate, cover with foil, and set aside. - Next, in the same saute pan cook the bacon, onion, and mushrooms over medium-high heat. Be careful! The handle of that pan is extremely hot! Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisped and the mushrooms and onions are golden.
- Add the Marsala wine. Cook until Marsala reduces
a bit then add the half and half. Cook for a few minutes, until the half and half reduced a bit and has a sauce-like consistency. Stir in the Gorgonzola. When it is melted, taste the sauce for seasoning. (The cheese and bacon are salty so you probably won't need any additional salt). - Add the spinach and then nestle the chicken thighs into the pan.
- When chicken is ready, remove from oven; place one cooked chicken breast on each serving plate and top with mushroom-Marsala-Gorgonzola sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, until everything is heated.
- Serve immediately over rice, linguine, or whipped potatoes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to an oven-safe medium
sauté pan and heat to medium-high. Place the thighs in the pan and reduce the heat to low. Saute until the underside is beautifully golden, about 7-8 minutes. Turn the thighs over. Transer the saute pan to the preheated oven and roast the thighs until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Remove the thighs to a plate, cover with foil, and set aside. - Next, in the same saute pan cook the bacon, onion, and mushrooms over medium-high heat. Be careful! The handle of that pan is extremely hot! Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisped and the mushrooms and onions are golden.
- Add the Marsala wine. Cook until Marsala reduces
a bit then add the half and half. Cook for a few minutes, until the half and half reduced a bit and has a sauce-like consistency. Stir in the Gorgonzola. When it is melted, taste the sauce for seasoning. (The cheese and bacon are salty so you probably won't need any additional salt). - Add the spinach and then nestle the chicken thighs into the pan.
- When chicken is ready, remove from oven; place one cooked chicken breast on each serving plate and top with mushroom-Marsala-Gorgonzola sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, until everything is heated.
- Serve immediately over rice, linguine, or whipped potatoes.
What Makes This Recipe Work?
- Boneless, skinless chicken thigh is a healthy, no-waste protein.
- Frozen chopped spinach is convenient, inexpensive, and nutritious; and again, no waste.
- Bacon or turkey bacon lends a
smokey , savory note. - Sauteing the onion removes its hot bite and makes it sweet.
- You deserve the mushrooms; they make any dish "fancy", don't they?
- Marsala wine, half and half, and Gorgonzola marry to make a creamy, sweet, tangy sauce that unites
all of the flavors of the dish and makes it rich and luxurious.
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