Sautéed Chicken with Nuts and Mushrooms (Gluten Free)

This recipe from "Better Homes and Gardens Tasty Timesaving Cooking" is gourmet and timesaving as well as being frugal.  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, if you can purchase them on sale, are economical and easy to sauté.  
If you prepare this, don’t have a lot of last-minute sides, or you will be busier than you want to be right before serving.  I suggest a make-ahead salad, or in my case, I made spinach-rice timbales, and let them bake while I prepared the chicken at the last minute.
 Remember, don’t overcook your chicken!  I sprinkle on a small amount of flour and shake it off before sautéing; it helps keep the chicken moist.   If you need a gluten-free dish, avoid the flour.   I also deglazed the pan with a tablespoon of sherry before adding the sauce ingredients.

This is a quick, easy, and special enough for guests.

 Sautéed Chicken with Nuts and Mushrooms

  4        Each  Chicken Breast Halves -- skinless, boneless

            Flour -- optional (not for gluten free)

  2        Tablespoons  Butter

     ½    Cup  Fresh Mushrooms -- sliced

     ½    Cup  Heavy Cream    

  1        Tablespoon  Dijon Mustard

    ¼     Cup  Walnuts -- chopped

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  In a large skillet, (I sprinkle on and shake off a small amount of flour), cook the chicken in butter over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.

Transfer the chicken breasts to a serving platter, reserving juices in skillet.  Cover the chicken to keep warm.

Stir the sliced mushrooms, cream, walnuts and mustard into the reserved juices in the skillet.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or till the mushrooms are tender.

Spoon the mushroom mixture over the chicken breasts. 

4 Servings

2012 Cost:  $3.29 or 83¢ per serving