Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast

Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast     

(Notes following are from a review on Allrecipes.com.  Her suggestions make sense and are how I prepared the meal)    

Submitted By: Behr
Photo By: Allrecipes
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes    Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 4

"Cheddar cheese and sweet apple are enclosed in sauteed chicken breasts."

INGREDIENTS:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped apple
2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter    1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for
garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1.    Combine apple, cheese, and bread crumbs. Set aside.
2.    Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts, and roll up each breast. Secure with toothpicks.
3.    Melt butter or margarine in a 7 inch skillet over medium heat. Brown stuffed chicken breasts. Add wine and 1/4 cup water. Cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
4.    Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch; stir into juices in pan. Cook and stir until thickened. Pour gravy over chicken, and garnish with parsley. Serve.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com    Printed from Allrecipes.com 1/24/2009

It's a good base recipe, but after reading the reviews, I knew it needed kicking up a notch. So I did the following: For the stuffing, I used red delicious apples, about 3/4 C, 3 T crumbs, and 1/4 C sharp cheddar, shredded. It smelled bland. So I added about 3-4 T brown sugar, and somewhere around 1 t cinnamon. Then, I added a few dashes of my personal spice blend (which is seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, oregano, basil and a dash of thyme), and it STILL needed something. McCormick Curry Powder! A couple of dashes and it was exactly what I wanted. The smell can only be described as odd and complex. I browned them in olive oil instead of butter. Doubled liquids, I used herbed chicken bouillon in place of water, and the wine was Turning Leaf Chardonnay, 2003 Reserve. I had a handful of apple chunks and slices left over, so in the last 10 minutes of simmering, I threw these into the sauce to cook, and added a couple T of brown sugar. I removed the chicken to plates when it was done, placed the cooked apple slices on top, stirred the sauce over high heat, adding a bit more brown sugar, and the sugar began to caramelize, thickening it nicely without the need for flour. I served with baby carrots and garlic bread. The sauce was an EXCELLENT complement to the carrots, and the chicken was the perfect balance of sweet and savory. If you try this method, make SURE to use McCormick curry powder! I will definitely be making this again ... MY way!