Chicken Valdostana with Fontina (Print Version)

Italian chicken layered with prosciutto and Fontina cheese in white wine tomato sauce, baked to golden perfection.

# What You Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Cured Meats

02 - 4 slices prosciutto di Parma

→ Cheeses

03 - 4 oz Fontina cheese, sliced

→ Breading

04 - ½ cup all-purpose flour

→ Cooking Fat

05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Sauces & Liquids

06 - ⅓ cup dry white wine
07 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
08 - ¼ cup chicken broth

→ Aromatics & Seasonings

09 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Place chicken breasts between sheets of parchment paper and gently pound to an even thickness of about ½ inch. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
03 - Dredge each chicken breast in flour, shaking off any excess coating.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, add the shallot and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and dried oregano. Simmer for 5 minutes.
06 - Lay the seared chicken breasts back into the sauce. Top each breast with a slice of prosciutto and a portion of Fontina cheese.
07 - Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve hot with extra sauce spooned over the top.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The way Fontina melts over prosciutto creates a gooey salty crust that makes you forget forks exist.
  • The white wine tomato sauce tastes like something you would pay too much for at a restaurant.
02 -
  • Do not skip pounding the chicken flat because uneven breasts mean dry edges and raw centers no matter how careful you are with timing.
  • Letting the sauce simmer those five minutes before adding the chicken back is the difference between watery and rich.
03 -
  • If your Fontina is very young and mild add a grating of Parmigiano on top for a sharper saltier kick that cuts through the richness.
  • Use an oven safe skillet from the start so you never have to transfer the sauce and chicken to a separate baking dish.

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