Chicken Valdostana Fontina Prosciutto (Printable Version)
Chicken breasts topped with prosciutto and Fontina, baked in a savory white wine tomato sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Cured Meats
02 - 4 slices prosciutto di Parma
→ Cheeses
03 - 4 oz Fontina cheese, sliced
→ Breading
04 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
→ Cooking Fat
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Sauces & Liquids
06 - ⅓ cup dry white wine
07 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
08 - ¼ cup chicken broth
→ Aromatics & Seasonings
09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Place chicken breasts between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound to an even thickness of about ½ inch. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
03 - Dredge each seasoned chicken breast in all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess coating.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, add the finely chopped shallot and minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
06 - Deglaze the skillet with dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and dried oregano. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.
07 - Nestle the seared chicken breasts into the simmering sauce. Top each breast with a slice of prosciutto di Parma and a layer of Fontina cheese.
08 - Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
09 - Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and serve hot with extra sauce spooned over each portion.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The sauce, the melted cheese, and the salty prosciutto create layers that taste like they took all day to build.
- Everything comes together in one oven safe skillet, which means almost no cleanup and all the glory.
02 -
- Do not skip pounding the chicken to an even thickness, because uneven pieces will leave you with dry edges and raw centers no matter how carefully you time the bake.
- Letting the sauce simmer those five minutes before adding the chicken back is what transforms it from watery to velvety and rich.
03 -
- Use an oven safe skillet from the start so you never have to transfer everything to a new dish before baking, saving you time and keeping all those concentrated flavors in one place.
- Tenting the skillet loosely with foil for the first five minutes in the oven prevents the cheese from browning too quickly while the chicken finishes cooking through.