Chicken Stuffed with Golden Onions & Fontina

From EatingWell: April/May 2005, The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006) — Subscribe Now!

A semi-firm cheese that's nonetheless quite creamy, fontina melts into pure heaven. Combined with caramelized onions, fontina becomes a nutty, gooey, irresistible filling for chicken breasts.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Very delicious and elegant enough I thought I should get out the tablecloth and candles! Truly felt like a gourmet restaurant meal! "

Chicken Stuffed with Golden Onions & Fontina Recipe

4 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2/3 cup shredded fontina cheese, preferably aged
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Preparation

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon rosemary; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool; stir in fontina.
Meanwhile, cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of each chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Stuff each breast with 1/4 cup of the onion-cheese mixture.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add wine and the remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Whisk broth and flour in a bowl until smooth; add to the pan, reduce heat to low and whisk until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce. Cook, covered, until the chicken is just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce.

Tips & Notes

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, arguably the most versatile cut of chicken, are very low in fat, only 1 to 2 grams of fat per serving. Conveniently, one 4- to 5-ounce breast, tender removed, yields a perfect 3-ounce cooked portion. When preparing, trim any excess fat from the outer edge of the breast.
Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of
the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded "chicken fingers."

Nutrition

Per serving: 258 calories; 12 g fat (5 g sat, 6 g mono); 88 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 33 g protein; 1 g fiber; 328 mg sodium; 388 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (33% daily value), Calcium (13% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 4 very lean meat, 1/2 high-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat