When I tasted this delicious dish made by Mt. Lebanon caterer Dave LeFebvre at a dinner party, I just about fell over -- and it was just as good when I made it at home a few nights later. I wasn't sure my kids would eat apples that weren't cooked inside a pie, or dried cranberries in any form, but they added just the right amount of sweetness and fall flavor. To stretch the recipe to five servings, I shredded the chicken in the pot after cooking and served it with couscous.

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 Fuji apples, rough chopped with skin on
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 14-ounce can whole cranberry sauce, optional

Place chicken breasts in a gallon-size plastic freezer bag. Using a wooden mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken until it is thin. Dredge chicken in flour, and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown, about five minutes. Turn heat down and add remaining ingredients except cranberry sauce. Stir to combine. Cover with a lid and bake in a 375-degree oven for 60 minutes. Top with whole cranberry sauce before serving, if desired.

Serves 4.

-- Dave LeFebvre,
Mt. Lebanon

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