Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Tender chicken breasts are stuffed with a creamy cheese and spinach mixture and ripe tomato slices. Topped with extra cheese, they’re baked to juicy perfection. The end result is a high-protein, low-carb meal full of nutrients and oozing with cheesy goodness and savory flavor you’ll love! 

What can I expect? 

Traditional stuffed chicken breast recipes are made with thick, carb-heavy breading, but not this recipe! We omit the breading completely, focusing all on the stuffing. The gooey cheese and spinach filling pairs with juicy tomatoes, creating an explosion of tastes and textures that are so tantalizing you won’t even miss the breading. 

Plus, without the need to dredge and coat chicken, this stuffed chicken recipe comes together unbelievably quickly. Just whisk the filling together, spread it evenly in the center of the chicken, wrap it up, and bake it in the oven. You’ll be in and out of the kitchen with dinner on the table for the whole family in just over 30 minutes! 

Are Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts Healthy? 

Let’s take a look at the main ingredients: 

• Chicken breasts
• Spinach
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Roma tomato

Chicken breasts, spinach, and tomatoes are all natural, nutritious food sources. Use them to create a wide variety of nutritious, flavor-filled recipes. 

But what about mozzarella and Parmesan cheese? Is dairy healthy?

Here’s what we know. Dairy is full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and natural fat energy. But if everyone consumed dairy all of the time, dairy farming would become abusive and unsustainable…

Let’s be mindful of our dairy intake. Buy dairy that comes from pasture raised cows and try to eat less. 

Sugar is what makes food unhealthy.

Traditional stuffed chicken breast recipes are made with all-purpose flour and breadcrumbs (starchy carbs), which digests very similarly to sugar. 

Add 1 cup of flour and 2 cups of breadcrumbs to this recipe, for a total of 173g sugar, and you’re looking at heartburn with an energy crash. (And you’ll be scouring the pantry for your next sugar snack within the hour.)

Omit the flour and breadcrumbs, and this recipe becomes nourishment. The ingredients provide vitamins, minerals, protein, and quality, whole-food energy. 

Enjoy these spinach & cheese stuffed chicken breasts knowing they support your well-being. Learn more about eating less sugar here.

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts Tips

1. Add sides

This recipe can easily be served as a complete meal on its own. However, it also tastes great with sides like crispy zucchini chips, hidden veggie pasta, or healthy pumpkin mac and cheese. 

2. Store leftovers 

Once cooled, leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. When you’re ready to eat, warm them covered in the oven, in a skillet over medium heat, or pop them in the microwave. 

3. Have leftover chicken? 

Store it in the freezer for another day. Or, use it to make marry me chicken, air fryer chicken fajitas, salsa chicken, or braised chicken and mushrooms. 

4. Grate the cheese

For the best results, use blocks of mozzarella and Parmesan, and grate them yourself. They will have a bolder flavor and melt more easily, creating the gooey consistency we want. Also, know that pasture-raised cheeses always taste better (happy cows make for tasty cheese). 

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:25 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1.5 cups fresh spinach chopped
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided ½ cup and ¼ cup
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 medium roma tomato sliced into 8 slices
• Toothpicks or kitchen twine optional for securing the chicken

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Steam the Spinach in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the steamed spinach, ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well to create the stuffing.
• Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal slit along the side of each chicken breast to create a pocket for the stuffing. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
• Stuff each chicken breast with the spinach and cheese mixture, pressing gently to ensure the filling is evenly distributed.
• Add two slices of the tomato to each chicken breast and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• If using toothpicks, secure the tomatoes and open sides of the chicken breasts with toothpicks to keep the stuffing from falling out during cooking. Alternatively, you can use kitchen twine to tie the chicken breasts closed.
• Transfer the pan to the prepared dish and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Notes

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Please let us know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #neutraleating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe from Neutral Eating: https://neutraleating.com/spinach-and-cheese-stuffed-chicken-breasts

Servings: 4

Author: Neutral Eating