Pepper Jelly-Glazed & Jack-Stuffed Chicken with Mushroom Madeira and Creole Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This dish is all about improvisation. All of these ingredients are interchangeable with other equally as creative. You can make this dish with pork chops instead of chicken or eliminate the mushrooms for an onion-infused sauce and Parmesan cheese will elevate your mashed potatoes in a more subtle way.
Recipe by:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Chicken
  • 4 large chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon Creole mustard or brown mustard
  • 1 tablespoon sugarcane vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 jar (10 ounces) pepper jelly (spicy), such as Tabasco
  • 1 block (8 ounces) pepper jack cheese, cut into thick slices
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish
  • 4 sprigs of parsley leaves, for garnish
Mushroom Madeira Sauce
  • 2 pounds thick-sliced mushrooms, such as Portobello or button
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup Madeira wine
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup heavy cream, more if needed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
  • 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • Water
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ stick unsalted butter
  • 1 cup whole milk, more if needed
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Chicken
  1. Place the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag. In a mixing bowl, add mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, celery salt, rosemary sprig and garlic powder. Whisk together and pour over the chicken breasts and seal the bag. Roll the bag with your hands to evenly coat the chicken and place the bag in a bowl. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before cooking.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
  3. Remove the chicken breasts from the bag and pat dry. Cut 3 long slits in the top of each chicken breast. On a foil-lined baking sheet, add the chicken breasts and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add 4 tablespoons of the marinade into the bottom of the pan and cover the pan with foil. Bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes.
  4. While the chicken cooks, pour the pepper jelly into a saucepan on low heat. Slowly melt the pepper jelly. Keep warm until needed.
  5. Remove the chicken and uncover. Increase the temperature of the oven to 450ºF. Place a thick slice of cheese into each of the slits on the top of the chicken. Push down until they are wedged tightly. Brush the tops of each breast with the pepper jelly glaze. Return to the oven uncovered until the tops are browned and cheese begins to melt. Keep warm for serving.
Mushroom Madeira Sauce
  1. Lay out the sliced mushrooms on paper towels and make sure they are dry. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil and butter. Once the oil/butter is sizzling, add the mushrooms and cook until browned on both sides. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. As the wine reduces, add the herbs and cook. Add the cream and continue to cook until the cream reduces and thickens to a sauce consistency that coats the back of a spoon. If it thickens too much, add a bit more cream. Keep warm for serving.
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
  1. In a large pot, add the potatoes. Fill with water to cover the potatoes and lightly season the water with salt. On high heat, bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water from the potatoes and using a potato ricer, process the potatoes until all lumps are gone. Return the shredded potatoes to the warm pot and add butter, milk and horseradish along with a grind of black pepper. Using a spoon, stir lightly until mixed. Cover the pot and keep warm.
  2. For serving, place a generous scoop of potatoes on a plate. Add the mushroom sauce and place the chicken breast on top of the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the potatoes. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and parsley leaves.
Notes
Cooking time does not include marinating. Any kind of mushroom will work, but be sure to slice thick. Buy the large, plump chicken breasts with bone and skin-on for more flavor. Madeira is a fortified Portuguese wine available at most supermarkets and will have many uses in your kitchen. The rule I try to follow is never to garnish with anything that isn’t an ingredient in the dish, so in this case, chop some rosemary and parsley for your sauce.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://www.acadianatable.com/2015/05/04/stuffed-chicken-with-mushroom-madeira/