Description
Creamy white-wine pan sauce studded with crispy bacon and sautéed mushrooms, spooned over buttered Parmesan spaghetti. Same ingredients, fresh wording — ready to cook.
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken & sauce
- 5–6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 large chicken breasts, halved lengthwise (you’ll end up with 4 thin cutlets)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 7 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup Riesling (or another dry white wine)
- ¾ cup heavy/whipping cream
Buttered Parmesan pasta
- 8 oz uncooked spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Prep the pasta (optional): If you’re serving the dish with spaghetti, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to the package. Drain, put the pasta back into the pot, toss with the butter and Parmesan until glossy, then keep covered and warm until the chicken is ready.
- Crisp the bacon: Cut the bacon into small pieces (kitchen shears are handy). In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it’s nicely crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, leaving about 2–3 tablespoons of bacon fat behind in the pan.
- Season and dredge the chicken: Slice each chicken breast into two thinner pieces. Season lightly with garlic powder, salt and pepper (remember bacon adds salt). Dust each cutlet in flour and shake off any excess.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the pan again over medium-high (use the bacon fat). Add the chicken and brown it for 4–5 minutes per side or until golden—don’t worry if it’s not completely cooked through. Remove the cutlets to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the mushrooms: Add the butter to the skillet, then the sliced creminis and Italian seasoning. Sauté for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it evaporates and they develop some color.
- Build the sauce: Stir in the minced garlic and cook about 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the Riesling and scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce by roughly half (about 2–3 minutes).
- Finish with cream, bacon, and chicken: Lower the heat, stir in the heavy cream, then nestle the seared chicken and the reserved bacon back into the skillet. Simmer gently for about 4–6 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve: Plate a mound of the buttered Parmesan spaghetti, top with a chicken cutlet, spoon over plenty of mushroom-Riesling sauce and extra bacon. Garnish with chopped parsley if you like.
Notes
- Quick notes & tips
- Don’t crowd the pan when searing the chicken — give the pieces space to brown.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to confirm doneness (165°F in the thickest part).
- If you don’t have Riesling, a dry Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio works fine; Marsala or sherry gives a different, tasty profile.
- To keep the sauce silky, add the cream after the wine has reduced; bring to a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
- Leftovers keep 3–4 days in the fridge. Reheat slowly on the stove with a splash of cream or stock to loosen the sauce. (Freezing cream sauces is not recommended.)
Nutrition
- Calories: 499kcal
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 374mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 156mg