Swiss Apple Chicken

This recipe is a creation based on what I had left in the fridge. The proscuitto and sage were from last week's recipe and definitely things I didn't want to waste. I had a green apple kicking around, some swiss cheese...a bit of thinking things over and I came up with this. It has a nice combination of flavors with a balance that can't be beat between the proscuitto, cheese, sage and apples. The best part is that it's no fuss - I started out with frozen chicken breasts and tossed it all in the oven and walked away for 40 minutes.



Swiss Apple Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (totally frozen are ok)
1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced into thin rings
8 sage leaves
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T. butter
2 slices swiss cheese
2 large slices proscuitto, sliced into thin ribbons

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a casserole dish with PAM and lay the chicken breasts in it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, layer the apple rings and sage on top and set aside. In a medium nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, then the vinegar and apple juice and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the chicken breasts carefully, then cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the proscuitto strips until they are crispy and set aside. Once the chicken is cooked through, place the swiss cheese slices on top and turn to broil. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melty and bubbly. Remove from the oven and remove the breasts to a plate and cover loosely with the foil to rest. Pour the pan juices into a medium nonstick skillet and cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until they are reduced down to a syrup. Serve the chicken breasts with a generous sprinkling of proscuitto and the syrup drizzled over the top.