Chicken Breasts with Champagne Sauce

Tender browned Chicken Breasts dressed in velvety Champagne Sauce make an elegant entree. Dotted with pan-toasted mushrooms they are the perfect centerpiece of a special dinner for two.

A Romantic Dinner for Two

We are in the heart of champagne season. From New Year’s Eve through Valentine’s Day, when the evenings are long and the conditions are perfect for romantic dinners for two, there always seems to be an occasion close at hand for sharing a glass of sparkling wine.

Over twenty years ago I cut a menu for a Champagne Dinner for Two from the pages of Southern Living magazine. It featured an elegant but simple meal of chicken breasts in a velvety mushroom sauce, a  flavorful wild rice pilaf, bright steamed vegetables and a pretty green salad. It even suggested a luscious amaretto-spiked chocolate mousse for dessert. Of course the dinner was complemented by a bottle of champagne, sipped with the meal and laced through the sauce.

I prepared the menu exactly as suggested for Valentine’s Day that year. As promised, preparation for this romantic meal was not complicated. That left time to set a pretty table and put some flowers in a vase.

Chicken Breasts with a Velvety Champagne Mushroom Sauce

The meal came together seamlessly. The chicken breasts were tender and delicious and the smooth texture of the champagne sauce, dotted with carefully browned mushroom slices, was the perfect complement. In fact all of the flavors suggested for the menu blended in a perfect harmony. The dinner was a success in every way.

Since then I have served Chicken Breasts with Champagne Sauce on many occasions. It has long been one of my favorite “For Company” dishes. It is simple enough to serve on late notice and elegant enough to impress.

I have modified the recipe somewhat over the years. As with many recipes, Greek yogurt makes an excellent substitute for the commercial sour cream called fo originally. I have also discovered that a little extra attention to the mushrooms pays off. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan as the mushrooms brown. Also, be sure to allow the mushrooms to develop a nice toasty brown color for optimal flavor and texture.

Enjoy!

Chicken Breasts with Champagne Sauce

Course: Main Dish

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

The velvety sauce dotted with pan-toasted mushrooms turns chicken breasts into an elegant entree. Serve with a rice pilaf and salad for a special dinner for two.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

• 4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1/3 cup champagne

• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

• In a medium skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add chicken breast halves and brown on both sides.
• Reserving the drippings in the skillet, remove chicken breast pieces to a 1-quart baking dish. Add mushroom slices to the skillet and sauté until mushrooms are browned. Remove the mushrooms to a small dish and set aside.
• Stir champagne into drippings in the skillet. Simmer until heated through and reduced slightly, stirring occasionally to release browned bits from the skillet. Pour warmed champagne evenly over chicken pieces.
• Cover chicken and bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until cooked through (chickens reads 165F at thickest point).
• Remove chicken pieces to a platter, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add yogurt, salt and pepper to the reserved liquid, whisking until smooth. Pour sauce over chicken and top with browned mushrooms.
  

Notes

• Recipe Source: adapted from a recipe in an old issue of Southern Living.
• If you are reluctant to open a bottle of champagne for this recipe, white wine or even chicken broth can be used instead with good result.
• This recipe can easily be doubled to feed more guests.