Chicken Fontina

Ingredients:
6 Boneless Chicken Breasts, 4 oz each
1 ½ Cup Mushroom filling, see recipe below
1 Cup Seasoned Flour (salt & pepper)
3 Eggs
½ Cup Water
1 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
⅓ Cup Mozzarella, shredded
Mushroom filling:
¾ Cup Button Mushrooms, finely diced
¾ Tablespoon Olive Oil
¾ Tablespoon Nueske Smoked Ham, finely diced
2 Tablespoon Red Onions, finely diced
1 ¼ Tablespoon Heavy Cream
⅓ Tablespoon Basil, finely diced
⅓ Tablespoon Parsley, finely diced
1 Sage leaf, finely diced
¾ Tablespoon Butter
⅓ Cup Fontina cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper
Cooking instructions:
Mushroom filling
1. Place the olive oil and onions in a sauté pan and cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent and tender.
2. Add mushrooms to the pan and sauté until all of the water is cooked out, stirring constantly.
3. Add heavy cream and let it reduce until mushroom mixture begins to bind.
4. Add butter and fresh herbs, continue to reduce and add a pinch of salt & pepper.
5. Fold in the finely diced Nueske Smoked Ham.
Note: Once the mixture is ready, it will have a thick wet consistency.
6. Transfer the finished mixture to a parchment lined sheet tray and allow to cool.
7. Once cooled, fold in grated fontina cheese with a rubber spatula and reserve for stuffed chicken breast.
Chicken Fontina
1. Butterfly all 4 oz boneless breasts without cutting all the way through. Gently pound between sheets of plastic wrap to slightly expand surface to easily stuff and seal closed when stuffed.
2. Place ¼ cup of mushroom filling in the middle of the butterflied breast.
3. Fold butterflied breast over, pocketing the mixture inside.
4. Using standard breading procedure dip all breast carefully in the flour, egg wash, breadcrumbs mixture in that order, insuring that you have a good seal around the edge of the breast. Breast should not be rolled but folded.
5. Reserve on parchment lined sheet pan until ready to cook.
6. Coat a large sauté pan with Olive Oil and place each Stuffed Chicken breasts in the pan and cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
7. Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a baking pan.
8. Place in a 450 degree oven and cook for approximately 3 minutes.
9. Add the Shredded Cheese on top of the Chicken, and finish on the oven for 1 more minute or until internal temperature of 165 degrees is achieved.
10. Serve with your favorite recipe of mashed potatoes or a simple angel hair with aglio olio for a delicious meal!