Chicken Madeira on a blue plate with mashed potatoes and asparagus on top

Today we are going to talk about The Cheesecake Factory. I love it. So many delicious things going on there. Oh, and cheesecake. Lots and lots of heavenly cheesecake.

You know what else The Cheesecake Factory has a lot of? Calories. Fat. I could go on and on. While I have a handful of dishes I really enjoy ordering, the amount of fat and calories in a lot of their dishes is downright ridiculous. Part of this is due to the fact that their serving sizes are often enough to feed a small family.

Their Chicken Madeira is one of my favorites. Sauteed chicken smothered in butter and a delicious wine sauce served with a mountain of mashed potatoes. While it is super delicious, the calories are just too much for me to bear. The dish (not including the mashed potatoes) has 1020 calories and 30 grams of fat. Yes, this is a lot.

I’ve been wanting to attempt to make it at home myself and finally got around to it last weekend. It was really simple and my version cuts half the calories and fat! While it’s still a heavier dish than we normally eat, I think it’s fine for a nice Sunday dinner! I’m not sure how much butter is usually used in CF version, but this version doesn’t require much. I also cut out the cheese. While I love cheese, it’s just not necessary here. The Madeira wine sauce is really flavorful on it’s own!

Chicken Madeira on a blue plate with mashed potatoes and asparagus on top

Chicken Madeira on a blue plate with mashed potatoes and asparagus on top
Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Madeira

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Chicken Madeira - The Cheesecake Factory favorite - lightened up and completely delicious! Tender juicy chicken topped with tasty Madeira wine sauce!

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast; split each breast in half lengthwise and then pounded to 1/2″ thickness
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Madeira wine sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 1/2 cups Madeira wine
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. To prepare the chicken, stir together the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or pie dish. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture on both sides.
  2. In a large skillet with high sides over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for about 3-5 minutes, per side, until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove the chicken from the pan, cover, and set aside.
  3. Without rinsing out the pan, add the butter followed by the mushrooms. Saute until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir until the mushrooms are coated. Then whisk in the wine and chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a light boil and then cook for about 5-7 minutes until reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the chicken and serve.

Notes

I found Madeira wine near the dessert wines. It is a sweet wine. When I first started the sauce, I didn’t like the wine sauce, I thought it was too strong, but after letting it cook down, it got much better and less sweet so just let it cook!

Side dish suggestions: Steamed asparagus or sour cream mashed potatoes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

2 pieces of chicken with sauce

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 302Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 984mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 18g

Chicken Madeira on a blue plate with mashed potatoes and asparagus on top