Best Crispy Chicken Florentine Melt Recipes

CHICKEN FLORENTINE STYLE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and saute until heated through. Season the spinach, to taste, with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach over a platter. Place the chicken atop the spinach. Pour the sauce over and serve.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE ROLL-UPS WITH LEMON-THYME ORZO PILAF

Steps:

• For the chicken Florentine roll-ups: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Thaw the spinach in the microwave or on the stove as per the directions on the package, then place it in a strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, discarding the liquid.
• Chop the sun-dried tomatoes, grate the Parmesan cheese, and chop the basil, and place them in a medium bowl with 2/3 cup of the spinach, the goat cheese, egg white, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Stir with a fork until well incorporated.
• Spread 3 tablespoons of the filling on the top half of each chicken breast, roll up, and secure with 2 toothpicks. (See Cook's Note.) Sprinkle the chicken rolls with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet with a cover over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken rolls until golden, 2 minutes per side. Pour the chicken broth over the rolls, cover, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.
• For the lemon-thyme orzo pilaf: Peel and chop the shallots. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Meanwhile, halve the tomatoes, grate the cheese, chop the thyme, and zest and juice the lemon (1 teaspoon zest and 1 1/2 tablespoons juice). When the orzo is done, stir in the tomatoes, thyme, lemon zest and juice, cheese, salt, and pepper. Cover and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.
• To serve, drizzle the roll-ups with the liquid from the skillet and serve with the orzo.