What is that? A chicken breast on the bottom, with a piece of melting Mozzarella cheese on top, sprinkled with some pepper and Italian herbs, and topped with a mushroom Madeira sauce. VERY easy to make. You’d absolutely never – ever – know it’s low calorie.
Just because I tell you this recipe is a healthy one, please don’t go on by – you’ll be very surprised at the succulence of this chicken dish. My friend Linda T told me about a new cookbook she purchased. She’s been going to Weight Watchers for awhile, and I would guess someone told her about this cookbook there – mostly she mentioned it because the food is so good – but she also said the author includes Weight Watchers points with the nutritional info about each recipe.
The author, Marlene Koch, is a dietitian. She’s a wife and mother, and decided there had to be a way to incorporate her (and our) favorite things (like cheese, butter, and ooey gooey goodies, in her words) into everyday healthy cooking. So first she published Eat What You Love
If this recipe is any representation of what else is in this book, I’ll be a happy camper. My husband had nary a clue the entrée was low in calorie and fat. He almost licked the plate. I’d made some plain rice and that was almost the same as licking the plate since it soaked up all the scrumptious sauce.
Truth be told, my DH and I never eat at the Cheesecake Factory. (A Chicken Madeira is on their menu, but one that loaded with fat and calories.) We don’t not go there because the food isn’t good, but because it’s about a 25-minute drive, and it’s always very crowded. It’s in a shopping center and it takes at least 10+ minutes to walk from the parking garage to the restaurant. Way too much trouble. Once in awhile my friend Cherrie and I will meet there for lunch (we usually share an order of their Shepherd’s Pie, which is SO good) and then go to a movie together. Otherwise, I never even go to that shopping center, period. Oh, yes, my DH and I did go there to buy a Sleep Number Bed (the best bed we’ve ever had, by the way) a couple of years ago.
Anyway, this chicken . . . it’s in the 2nd cookbook listed up above. My friend Linda told me this was one of her favorite recipes from the book – this was after I’d already chosen it as my first test. Starting with 4 chicken breasts pounded to about 1/2 inch thickness, you brown them in a tiny bit of oil, just until they’re browned on both sides and nearly cooked through. Remove them, then you make the sauce. I added mushrooms and let them sauté a bit, then added some red onion. It only took a few minutes and they were cooked completely. Then the wine and beef broth were added and allowed to simmer, to reduce down a bit. Lastly you add some Italian herbs and a tiny bit of cornstarch stirred into the last bit of beef broth. It’s just enough to thicken the sauce some. The chicken is put back into the pan. The cheese is put on top (I used fresh Mozzarella because I had some and didn’t have any regular Mozzie). I sprinkled the top with some pepper and some of the dried herbs. A lid was put on top and the chicken was simmered for about 3-4 minutes while the cheese began to melt and the chicken finished cooking. The rest of our dinner was plated, then I added a scoop of hot rice and the chicken with the sauce drizzled all over both the chicken and the rice. Oh, heavenly taste!
What I liked: Would you believe me if I said that I would have no idea this dish was low calorie and low fat? It was absolutely wonderful – full of flavor and texture. Delicious in every bite. I’d even make this for guests – it was that good!
What I didn’t like: wow, nothing whatsoever. A definite make again dish.
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Cheesecake Factory® – Style Chicken Madeira
Recipe By: From the cookbook, Eat More of What You Love by Marlene Koch
Serving Size: 4
Serving Ideas: Do serve this with some kind of carb that will soak up the delicious sauce (rice or potatoes) but don’t over-season it as you want to taste the sauce.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves — 4 small breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt — divided, plus 1/8 tsp
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper — divided
1 tablespoon canola oil — divided
8 ounces mushrooms — sliced
1/2 cup red onion — finely diced
1 cup Madeira
3/4 cup low sodium beef broth — divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons honey — or brown sugar [I used half as much agave nectar]
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon butter
2 slices fresh Mozzarella — or regular part-skim Mozzie slices, cut in half
1. Cover the chicken breasts in plastic wrap and gently pound flat to 1/2 inch thickness. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until well browned. Turn the chicken and cook for 3 more minutes or until barely cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook for 3 more minutes or until softened. Add the wine and 1/2 cup broth and simmer until three-quarters of the liquid evaporates.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup broth and add to the skillet with the honey, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 minute or until thickened. Swirl in the butter, add the chicken back to the pan, and top each breast with cheese. Turn the heat to low and cover skillet for 2 to 3 minutes to melt cheese. Place chicken on plates and top with sauce.
Per Serving: 303 Calories; 8g Fat (30.5% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 76mg Cholesterol; 243mg Sodium. The cookbook said 330 calories and 7 Weight Watcher points.
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