Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Wellington

Ingredients:

Chicken Wellington:

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 4 (4-oz.) chicken breasts (can use 2 large chicken breasts)
• 4 T. butter
• Salt to taste
• Lemon pepper to taste
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (10 oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips
• 1 egg, beaten

Sauce:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T. olive oil
• ½ cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Thaw puff pastry overnight in refrigerator.  Place chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and flatten to a uniform thickness of ¾ to 1 inch; cut off thinner ends of chicken and freeze for a later use.  If you use 2 large chicken breasts, just cut them in half.  In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add chicken and sear to golden; do not overcook as chicken will finish cooking in the oven.  Season with salt and lemon pepper; cool slightly.  
2. Mix cream cheese, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl.  
3. Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8 in. thickness.  Cut in quarters.   Place ¼ of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of each puff pastry square.  Place a chicken breast on top of the cheese.  Fold up pastry like a package, sealing edges with beaten egg.  
4. Turn over carefully and place on a greased baking sheet.  Brush the top with egg for a golden presentation.  At this point, pastries can be refrigerated until ready to bake; remove from refrigerator and allow to stand for 20 minutes before proceeding.  
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and internal temperature of chicken is 160 degrees.
6. To make sauce, sauté garlic until golden in olive oil in a small saucepan.  Add tomatoes and artichokes to garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the cream and bring to a boil.  Whisk in Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes (mine is always longer) or until sauce begins to thicken, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
7. When done, remove pastries from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.  Drizzle with sauce.

*recipe from the Colorado Classique cookbook