Seemingly artless at first glance, these prepackaged beauties have stumped us all.

Well, here’s our latest inspiration: a creamy trio of tender, pounded medallions of chicken, shitake mushrooms and tart, tiny pickles. Saturday night swank at its finest, but easy enough for busy weeknight fare.

Save a little money and slice your own cutlets from whole boneless breasts. With a sharp knife, remove the skin and any fat, then slice the breast into two portions down the middle, creating two breast halves (most packaged breasts come this way).

Place the palm of one hand flat on breast half, and slice parallel to the cutting surface into two or three slices, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.

Pound the cutlets between wax paper using a meat mallet, rolling pin – or in a pinch, even an empty wine bottle or heavy drinking glass will do.

‘In a Pickle’ Shitake Medallions of Chicken

1 pound chicken breast cutlets
1 cup flour for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
20 fresh shiitake or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup cornichon pickles, sliced diagonally
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Place the cutlets between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness.

Dredge chicken pieces in the seasoned flour.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Sear the cutlets, being careful not to overcrowd, for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the cutlets from the pan and keep warm.

Reduce the pan’s heat to medium-low and add the butter. Sauté the mushrooms until they begin to release moisture, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Add the wine and mustard and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, then add the cream and the pickles; simmer an additional 4 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and reduce.

Return the cutlets to the pan and spoon the warm sauce over them. Remove the pan from the heat and garnish with fresh minced parsley and a few turns of cracked black pepper.