Turn Chicken Marsala Into Chicken Lombardy With One Gooey Addition
The Italian-American classic dish called chicken Marsala relies on poultry, a creamy wine sauce, and lots of fresh mushrooms among other ingredients. But what you might not realize is that it basically only takes one extra household ingredient to transform it into chicken Lombardy, another popular Italian-American meal. That creamy ingredient is in the form of cheese, and what doesn't get even tastier with that?
Chicken Lombardy might use mozzarella, Fontina, parmesan, or a combination of them depending on the recipe, like many other dishes in Italian-American cuisine. If you aren't familiar with the dish at all, it contains mushrooms and Marsala sauce, just like chicken Marsala. There are always variations, like a garnish of green onion instead of parsley, but it's a rather safe bet to follow a chicken Marsala recipe, like our original creamy chicken Marsala recipe created by Jennine Rye, then simply add your cheese of choice to transform the meal.
How much cheese to use on chicken Lombardy and when to add the ingredient
When it comes to which cheese to pick, Fontina and mozzarella melt quite well in the oven. Fontina has a bit of a stronger flavor with a nutty finish similar to Parmesan. That's why it's ideal to combine the two cheeses for chicken Lombardy. You can also incorporate Parmesan into the mix, or use it as a garnish for serving. For every six servings, use around a cup of cheese. Of course, we aren't judging if you want to use more. Freshly shredded cheese is best to get even layers across each piece, but sliced mozzarella works too.
You'll brown the chicken first in a pan before it goes into the oven. Top it with the mushrooms, other ingredients, and the cheese at discussion and finish it off in the oven. It should take around six minutes for the dish to finish cooking and for the cheese to melt just enough. If you don't cook the chicken first, it'll take far longer in the oven. To finish it off, consider a garnish of parsley or green onions for a pop of color or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper for heat. Any leftover Marsala sauce can also be spooned on top for serving. And should you have any extra cheese, consider our classic cheese fondue recipe.