Cranberries are back! Stuffed Chicken Breast with Apple & Cranberry Chutney

  I just love this kind of dish where you can just keep adding flavors until you get it right.  I started out with the onions, and mushrooms, then later added apples, and finally the cranberries.  They all melded to form a kind of marmalade, or chutney - really delicious.  The first time I made it, I didn't stuff the chicken and it was still yummy.  But just plain boneless chicken breast can be a little dry or dense inside, so this time I filled them with a cornbread stuffing which made the dish more festive and got rave reviews.  Here I served a wild rice mixture. And a delicious salad.....

Chicken Breast with Cornbread Stuffing ,and Apples & Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients

4 Boneless chicken breasts
1/4 flour
4 Baby Bella mushroom, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1 apple, peeled & sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled (or a branch of fresh rosemary)
1/2 tsp dried sage
salt & pepper

For the stuffing:
 1 cup (leftover) corn bread or stuffing
1/4 cup sauteed onions
1/4 fresh cranberries
1/4 cup celery
1/4 corn kernels
1/4 tsp thyme
salt & pepper

Saute the onions & mushrooms together until golden. 
Mix the stuffing ingredients together.  Cut opening in the chicken breasts lengthwise without cutting all the way through.  Stuff the chicken breasts & secure them with skewers.  Then did them in the flour and coat.  Add to the onion, mushroom mixture and brown on both sides.  De-glaze with some of the chicken broth.  Add the rosemary branch (or dried rosemary) and balsamic vinegar.   Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 15 minutes, covered.  (Put your chicken on right about now.) Turn the chicken and add the cranberries, & sliced apples.  At this point, uncover and let it reduce and thicken somewhat.  Adjust seasonings.  If you need to add more chicken broth, you can.  Let it simmer on a low heat while you prepare your salad - serve!

To make this meal even more fun, you could wear my Cranberry Silk slip!

"And they bought an Owl, and a useful Cart, And a pound of Rice, and a Cranberry Tart.”

Edward Lear