Chicken Madeira (just like the Cheesecake Factory!)

Have you ever been to the Cheesecake Factory? The menu is the size of a Harry Potter book. Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But it is well beyond Dr. Seuss in any case. And despite the endless menu options, I always- always- order the Chicken Madeira. Because it is that good (And it's a huge portion which means lunch for the next day too!). The sauce is sweet and savory and so full of flavor. 

Now, I didn't have any Madeira wine for my own dish so instead I used a balsamic vinegar mixture. It turned out just as tasty and still quite beautiful. If you do happen to have some Madeira on hand, just use that instead of the balsamic vinegar in this recipe and omit the brown sugar. 

The Cheesecake Factory dish is served with melted mozzarella over the chicken and grilled asparagus. However, I think the sauce is the real star and didn't want to take away any of its shining glory. But if you want to go completely copycat, then before adding the sauce to your chicken, place thin mozzarella slices to the cooked chicken breast and broil for a few minutes until just bubbly. I don't love asparagus so I didn't miss it but it would definitely add to the beautiful presentation of this dish! 

What You'll Need:(serves 4)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin 
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
for sauce:
3 Tbsp. butter
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c. balsamic vinegar
1 c. beef broth
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
pepper 

(optional) 1 tsp cornstarch

What To Do: 

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and saute for a couple minutes. Add remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until sauce thickens and reduces to about 1/2-1/4 of it's original volume. If your sauce is still a little runny, mix together 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp water in a small cup and combine completely. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into your sauce and stir quickly. 

While the sauce is simmering pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a separate skillet and cook chicken for five minutes on each side or until seared nicely on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. Right before serving, spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes. 

recipe adapted from favorite family recipes