Chicken Marsala

This dish is simple and is best served on nights when you need some extra comfort. I first made marsala on a cold, rainy evening...my husband and I were famished, and the cupboards were close to empty. I keep a variety of wines on hand, chicken breasts in the freezer and a healthy supply of mushrooms in the refrigerator (mushrooms are probably in my top 5 favorite ingredients and can be used for just about anything!). This dish seems complicated and sophisticated, but it requires few ingredients and is quite economical to prepare, making it an excellent choice for entertaining. You can serve this dish with pasta, new potatoes or roasted garlic mashed potatoes (shown below; recipe coming soon!), and it makes excellent leftovers. This is Italian comfort food at its finest!
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (optional step: brining~ soaking in salt water for up to four hours)
1 small package white or baby bella mushrooms
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2/3 cups marsala wine
3 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Assembly:
Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides of each breast. Dredge each breast in flour (coat both sides evenly). Heat olive oil and butter on medium-high until butter is melted. Sear chicken breasts 3-4 minutes or until a crust forms on the bottom. Flip and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan. Saute mushrooms and onions 3-4 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Remove pan from heat and add marsala. Put pan back on heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add cream and stir to combine (you won't need to use any cornstarch as a thickening agent; the flour from the chicken will do the trick!). Place chicken back in the pan and cook approximately 15 or until chicken is cooked all the way through.