Chicken Marsala

We don’t often go to Olive Garden (and an Actual Italian Restaurant is directly out). It’s a bit pricey for our budget (we are sooooo cheap), and it’s not very preschooler-friendly. But every time we do go, I get the Stuffed Chicken Marsala. It’s gloriously delicious. I’d always kindof assumed that it was a difficult recipe, so I’d never tried it. But if there’s one thing that food blogging has taught me, it’s that the fancy recipes that we think are difficult are actually easier than takeout.

Chicken Marsala has a very small ingredient list, and many of them are things you already have. If I want to make this, I do need to plan ahead because I don’t generally keep mushrooms or Marsala wine in the house, but they’re both easy to obtain. I based this on the recipe in my BHG cookbook (they don’t seem to have it online) – the main difference is that I stuffed the chicken with cheese and herbs and they don’t.

Here is my ingredient list:
- chicken breasts (I used 2 big ones – in the future I’ll use smaller ones)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram (or substitute as you like)
- 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2 cups of sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- shredded Italian cheese (a single kind like parmesan or a mix, as you prefer)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine

For equipment you will need:
- small bowl
- something to pound chicken with
- cutting board
- plastic wrap
- skillet (cast iron is, of course, recommended)

Watch carefully; this recipe is so short that you might miss it.

Step one: Mix the flour, seasoning, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.

Step two: Lay the chicken on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound it until it’s around 1/4 inch thick.

Step three: Careful now! Use a sharp knife to cut a “pocket” in each piece of chicken. Stuff this pocket with cheese and any herbs you may want (I used marjoram, to match the breading).

Step four: Dip the chicken in the flour mixture (step one) and shake off excess – they only need a light coat. Set aside.

Step five: Melt one tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Saute the mushrooms and green onions in it, over medium-high heat, until they’re softened. Remove from skillet. (I just put them back into the measuring cup.)

Step six: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and allow to melt. Add the chicken breasts (don’t crowd the pan) and allow them to brown on each side. This’ll take about 6 minutes or so.

Step seven: TURN OFF the heat. Move the skillet to a different burner. Add the mushrooms and green onions back to the pan. Make sure there are no flames about, and add the Marsala wine to the pan, followed by the chicken broth. (I actually mixed the two together in a measuring cup.)

Step eight: When the liquids have calmed down a bit, put the skillet back on the heat and bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. The liquids will thicken into a lovely sauce.

Serve! It’s really good with pasta, but I suspect it’d also go well with rice! You can put it on a plate and stage it all pretty if you want, or you can just devour it, your choice.

I was absolutely amazed at how SIMPLE this recipe really is. It took less than 30 minutes, only a few ingredients, and the hardest part was pounding it out! (Bonus for doing it on a busy weeknight: take your frustrations out on the chicken.) Seriously: this is how difficult it was to make:

That’s right: wearing a Legend of Zelda hoodie, one hand in the pocket. You can practically do it in your sleep. (That’s also how glamorous it is to be a nobody food blogger.) This is only marginally more difficult (if at all) than any of the typical “weeknight” recipes you’ve got in rotation, and definitely adds a touch of class to your Wednesday night.

Do you have any restaurant recipes that you love, but are afraid to try at home?  (Make a suggestion and maybe I’ll try it for you!) Have you ever tried a “fancy” recipe and been surprised by how easy it was?

Grasshopper Pie

One of the biggest Nerd Holidays of the year is Pi Day. Traditionally celebrated on March 14 (at 1:52 pm), it’s a day to commemorate the intriguing infinite number pi, and also to make and eat delicious pies.

Meet my costar. She's waiting "patiently" for me to let her do something.

This year, Pi Day fell on a day that I really really didn’t feel like dealing with things. As you’ll see in the pictures, my kitchen was a MESS. And I was definitely in no mood to make a fiddly pie crust. I asked my friends for suggestions of a yummy pie that didn’t require a crust. April offered Grasshopper Pie, and I decided to go for it. I had to go to the store to get some ingredients, but it was kinda nice to get out of the house that day. I followed this recipe from The Pioneer Woman, but there are other versions out there (ones without alcohol, for example). I made a few changes – some by choice (trading the cookies) and some by accident (leaving out the creme de cacao).

To begin, you’ll need to gather these ingredients:
- Chocolate cookies – Oreos are traditional, but I used Thin Mints
- 2 tbsp butter
- container of marshmallow fluff
- 2/3 cup half-and-half
- 2 tbsp creme de menthe (you could sub some mint extract)
- 1 cup heavy cream

First, melt the butter. Put it in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap (trust me on this) with a few holes poked in it. Microwave for a few seconds (like 20).

Put the cookies and butter in the bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.

Pour the crumbs into your pie plate, and pat it down and up the sides.

Now put your marshmallow fluff and half-and-half in a pan and heat it until it’s all melted. Ree used a large container of fluff and I used a small one but somehow we both filled the pie? I’m not sure how that works, but okay. Maybe she uses a bigger pie plate.

While you’re tending the fluff on the stove, have your helpers fill a bowl with ice. When the hot mixture is all melted, remove from the heat and put it in the ice bath. As it cools, add the creme de menthe. If yours is clear, you’ll want to add some green food coloring. Stir and let the mixture cool.

Now break out your beater and whip that cup of heavy cream. Pour the cooled fluff mixture into the whipped cream and fold gently.

Fill your cookie crust with minty goodness. Pop that baby into the freezer. Make sure it’s flat. Ree says “at least 2 hours” but mine needed a little more than 3 before it was hardened.

Slice it and serve. It’s cool and minty and refreshing – a perfect pie for hot summer days. I’ll be making this a lot this summer, I think. The thin mints rehardened into basically one solid cookie, and it was excellent. I’ll have to hide the rest of the boxes we bought from my husband so I have them for next time. The only downside to this pie was that it took up valuable space in my freezer until we ate it all.