4chicken breasts cutlets (or 2 chicken breasts cut in half)
1teaspoonsea salt
½teaspoonfreshly ground pepper
½cupall-purpose flour
3tablespoonunsalted butter, divided
1mediumshallot, finely chopped
4cloves garlic, minced
2teaspoonItalian seasoning
½teaspoonpaprika
½cupjulienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1cuplow-sodium chicken stock
½cupheavy cream
⅓cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼cupfresh basil leaves, julienned
Instructions
In shallow medium bowl, add flour and mix in salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium-heat, melt 2 tablespoon butter. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a platter and cover to keep warm while you make the sauce.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in skillet. Add shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in chicken stock, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil and continue to stir until thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the the skillet and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Top with some additional cheese and fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Use chicken cutlets or cut chicken breasts in half so the chicken is thin enough to cook quickly.
If the sun-dried tomatoes are julienned, then take the time to do this. By slicing thinner, you get more bites with the sun-dried tomatoes.
Do not overcrowd the skillet. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Overcrowding can cause the chicken to steam rather than brown, resulting in a less crispy texture.
You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn't just cook slightly longer.
Use freshly grated Parmesan to finish the sauce. Never buy pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it contains wood pulp. Blocks of Parmesan cheese are also cheaper.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.