Description
A comforting twist on a classic dish featuring tender chicken breasts stuffed with creamy spinach and cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz each)
- Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
- 6 oz fresh baby spinach (or 4 oz frozen, well-drained)
- 4 oz plain cream cheese, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp jarred garlic)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus extra for topping)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced (or sun-dried tomatoes)
- Toothpicks, to secure the pockets
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and cut a horizontal pocket into each breast.
- In a medium bowl, mix softened cream cheese and minced garlic; add shredded mozzarella and stir until smooth.
- If using fresh spinach, steam until wilted, then squeeze out excess water before mixing into the cheese mixture.
- Generously fill each chicken breast with the spinach filling and secure the pockets using toothpicks.
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Top with tomato slices and extra mozzarella.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before removing toothpicks, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
Always use fresh ingredients for optimal flavor. Soften cream cheese before mixing for an even texture. Feel free to mix up the cheeses depending on what you have.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg