Tuscan Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

 I can hardly say I'm Italian, but I do love Italian food.  Actually, I cooked pasta dishes as a teen before I could cook curry.  So I thought I would try to create some Tuscan style chicken when I saw I had grape tomatoes and mushrooms in my fridge.  This recipe (as most of my recipes) comes to me as I'm standing at the stove. I just think what flavors belong together for the ethnicity of the dish and I run with it.  I was actually going to do this chicken the slow cooker, but "chickened" out at the last minute because I didn't have enough time before dinner. :)  The dish turned out great and I'm glad to have a new "Italian" dish I can serve my family.

Ingredients:

5-6 pieces of chicken (skinless) bone-in is fine
4-5 slices of bacon cut into a dice
1 pint of grape tomatoes
8oz of sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion sliced
4-5 cloves of garlic grated
1tsp of dried basil
1tsp of dried oregano
seasoning salt and pepper to taste
red chili flakes to taste
2 Tbs of balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs of honey
1/2 cup of dry sherry
1 cup of cream or half and half
2 tsp of cornstarch
Fresh parsley

Directions:


 Cut the bacon and fry until crispy.  Remove bacon to a plate and reserve 2Tbs of the bacon drippings.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown both sides in the bacon drippings. Remove the chicken onto a plate until later. 

Next add your mushrooms, onions and garlic into pan and saute (if needed add another Tbs of bacon drippings).  Then season with oregano, basil and red chili flakes.







Add the grape tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, honey and sherry.  Lower heat to medium-low and place a lid on the pan and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally and pop the tomatoes.

 

Stir together the cornstarch and the cream or half and half then pour into the chicken.  Allow to cook for another 5 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add bacon back into the dish.  Garnish with parsley. Serve over rice, pasta or with crusty bread.  Enjoy

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