Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala used to be a favorite of mine and would order it all the time at the Cheesecake Factory. And ONLY at the Cheesecake Factory. I didn't like the Chicken Marsala at the Olive Garden or any other Italian restaurants. It had to be from the Cheesecake Factory. And then I tried to order it again when I became pregnant because I was craving it. Huge mistake. It made me nauseous and I have never ordered it since. Must be the pregnancy hormones. lol! I have since given birth and still couldn't stomach the idea of eating their Chicken Marsala, so I end up usually ordering something else. In an attempt to rekindle my love for Chicken Marsala, I looked for a recipe that I could make at home. I've tried making Chicken Marsala in the past, but it was never successful. This time I looked at a few recipes and combined them together. This is what I came up with. Its almost as close to the taste as the Cheesecake Factory's. And I actually liked it!

4 boneless , skinless chicken breast (which I cut in half)
1 cup flour
2 tsp. dried oregano
salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. oil
3 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
8 oz sliced Bella mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Marsala wine
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1) In a shallow dish, combine flour, oregano, salt & pepper to taste. Coat chicken with the seasoned flour, shaking off excess flour.

2) Heat oil in a skillet. Add chicken and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.

3) Add bacon to the pan and sautee until browned, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Remove bacon once its been browned. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms begin to brown. Add garlic and cook for another minute (do not let garlic brown). Turn off the heat and slowly add the Marsala wine. Turn on the heat to high and cook for 5 minutes until sauce reduces to almost half and is almost syrupy (note: if sauce is not syrupy enough, take a few tablespoons of the sauce into a small bowl and mix 1 Tbsp. of flour. Stir vigorously to remove lumps and then return to the pan to help thicken the sauce).

4) Remove pan from heat and add lemon juice. Return the pan to the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until it is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and add parsley. Place chicken back into the sauce to coat. Serve over your favorite buttered pasta.