Cream Cheese and Sage Chicken with Shallot Wine Sauce

I know boneless, skinless chicken breasts get kind of a bad rap in the culinary world for being pedestrian, but I like them. I like making them. I like eating them. I just sometimes get bored with them. So last night I whipped up this awesome little take on Chicken Kiev that isn’t as fatty as the original because it’s not filled with butter. I also used some of the sad little sage plant I tried growing in the backyard before it completely dies. Behold, my Sage and Cream Cheese Chicken in Shallot Sauce:

Here’s what the chicken set-up looks like after pounding, with cream cheese and sage, before rolling into a delightful cheesy chunk. I don’t have an “after” picture of the completed dish because I ate the holy crap out of it and then remembered I didn’t take a picture. I have some left over I might be able to photograph later. Or not. I might eat the holy crap out of that too.

Ingredients Boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced through the middle to make two thinner pieces Olive oil4oz (1/2 a brick) of softened reduced-fat cream cheese16-20 fresh sage leavesShallot, thinly sliced½ cup white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc)1 tbsp butterSalt, Pepper to taste

Directions Pound the chicken halves to about ¼ inch thick in plastic wrap with either a mallet, rolling pin or baseball bat. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. On one side of the chicken, spread half the cream cheese and top with a few sage leaves, then roll up using a couple of toothpicks to hold together.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and sautee chicken rolls for about 15 minutes, flipping around occasionally to brown all sides and cook all the way through. (It’s okay if some of the cream cheese squishes out) When done, remove chicken to a plate and keep warm.

In same pan on medium heat, (you shouldn’t need to add any more oil) brown shallots and a few more sage leaves for about 3 minutes, scraping up brown bits, then add the white wine and cook for roughly another 3 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Add the tablespoon of butter and stir to melt and further thicken the pan sauce.

Serve sauce over the chicken—I also put it over brown rice but that made the whole thing a little too brown so if you want something more vibrant, go with a mix of sautéed or roasted veggies on the side. Maybe over a bed of bright green, roasted asparagus? Oooh! Yum!