Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
This recipe is from Eating Well, our “go-to” website when we want to find fresh ideas for healthier, lower-calorie options. It’s easy, quick to make and even looks good enough to serve for a small dinner party.
The original recipe calls for frozen spinach. I have a huge aversion to frozen spinach, so we used fresh. The key was chopping the spinach finely.
Zest the Lemon
The bright lemon flavor really adds to the spinach mixture, so be sure to use the full 2 teaspoons. The amount is equal to zesting two small lemons. Next, finely grate the parmesan cheese.
Add the mixture all to a bowl, first the spinach and parsley, then the garlic, lemon zest and parmesan cheese. Stir together and the stuffing is ready to go.
Carefully slice open a pocket in each chicken breast.
This part is tricky. Using a small spoon, gently place the stuffing into the chicken pocket.
It gets messy.
It honestly may be easier to get in there with your hands. There will be a bit of mixture on the outside of the chicken.
Once all the chicken breasts are stuffed, generously salt and pepper each side
Pre-heat cast iron (or any oven-proof) pan with olive oil. Once the oil is warmed, and shimmering, add the chicken breasts.
Brown the Chicken Breasts evenly.
Turn after about 3-4 minutes, once the chicken starts to turn golden brown. Once browned, they are ready for the oven. If using a meat thermometer, insert into the thickest part of the chicken.
They should cook for about 18-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Once the cooking is complete, squeeze lemon juice on top of each chicken breast.
A healthy, fresh meal, ready in under an hour,
A full meal
On this night we served the Stuffed Chicken Breasts with a fresh tomato marinara and gluten-free pasta. We’ll share the marinara recipe soon!
