Pollo alla Firènze

*This recipe takes 3 hours to marinate the chicken. Plan ahead accordingly.

Pollo alla Firènze (Florence style chicken)

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons dry sherry, divided
3 whole chicken breast, split and boned (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups fresh spinach leaves, cut in thin shreds. (Can use frozen cut spinach. Thaw and then squeeze off excess water)
2 cups of coarsely chopped mushrooms (I use baby Portebello)
1 cup of grated carrots
1/3 cup of chopped onions
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups prepared Italian salad dressing
1 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese (can use Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Pour 2 cups sherry into large, shallow dish. Add chicken, turning to coat. Cover, marinate in refrigerator 3 hours.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, spinach, mushrooms, grated carrots, onions, salt, pepper and remaining 2 Tablespoons sherry. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until fresh spinach is completely wilted; cool spinach mixture.

3. Place dressing in another shallow dish; set aside.

4. Combine bread crumbs with the Romano cheese in third shallow dish; set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 375º.

6. Remove chicken from marinade, discard marinade. Slice a pocket into side of each chicken breast where breasts were originally attached. Fill pockets in chicken with spinach mixture. Secure pockets with wooden toothpicks to enclose mixture.

7. Coat each filled chicken breast with dressing, shaking off excess. Place each chicken breast in bread crumbs mixture; coat all sides with bread crumb mixture.

8. Place chicken in single layer in olive oil greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Cover, bake for 20-25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes or until chicken is tender. Let breast sit for 10 minutes before serving of cutting into them. Remove toothpicks.