Smothered Chicken . . .

4 skinned and boned chicken breasts
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon olive oil
18 to 20 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water

Directions
Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge in breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Sauté mushrooms in 1 teaspoon hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until edges are browned. Remove from skillet. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

Sauté garlic in 1 tablespoon hot oil over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned and soft. Remove from skillet, and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1/2 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium heat; add 2 chicken breasts, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken to a wire rack in a jellyroll pan. Keep chicken warm in oven at 225°. Repeat with remaining butter, oil, and chicken.

Stir chicken broth and next 3 ingredients into skillet, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and garlic. Stir together 3 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup water; whisk into broth mixture over medium-high heat. Cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly, or until thickened. Serve with chicken.

My thoughts – Got this recipe from the internet (in my opinion, don’t waste money buying cookbooks – there’s a ton of free recipes out on the web). It is from Southern Living (one of my fave magazines). Mushrooms ($1.25/8oz.) and chicken breast (buy 1 get 2 free) are on sale this week at Harris Teeter. Didn’t need to buy much else since all the other ingredients are stock pantry items which is one reason I love this recipe. Typically I like to use fresh herbs, but the dried oregano and basil worked fine. I sauteed the chicken in olive oil instead of butter and didn't waste my time keeping it warm in the oven. I used only 1 tbsp of flour since the hubby didn’t want the sauce to be too thick and heavy. Served it with plain instant mashed potatoes and some fresh tomato slices. The dish turned out great. The sauce is the stand out in this recipe. The husband especially loved the garlic. Next time I’ll probably add more mushrooms. It took me a little longer to make than expected since my son wasn’t in the mood to watch Mommy cook today and so I had to stop and entertain him at times, but otherwise it should take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Since chicken breast is so cheap, I’ll definitely be trying more chicken recipes this week. Stay tuned!