Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
If you like Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) you will love this chicken! Spinach pie filling stuffed inside a chicken breast, baked to perfection, oh my! This is one of my experiments gone better than expected.
If you like Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) you will love this chicken! Spinach pie filling stuffed inside a chicken breast, baked to perfection, oh my! This is one of my experiments gone better than expected.
- salt and pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- toothpicks
- 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach thawed and juice squeezed out
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) fat free feta cheese
- 1/3 cup fat free ricotta
- 3 (1.25 lbs) chicken breast halves
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs (i used 4c)
- spray oil
- Carbohydrate 4.13143824985444 g
- Cholesterol 23.5044444444444 mg
- Fat 3.57827761220017 g
- Fiber 1.24454707398005 g
- Protein 3.0369931959424 g
- Saturated Fat 0.874189333335217 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (54g)
- Sodium 138.146904869688 mg
- Sugar 2.8868911758744 g
- Trans Fat 0.495981834414523 g
- Calories 57 calories
Step-by-step
- In a small sauté pan, heat oil. Add onions, garlic and scallions and sauté about 1 minute. Add spinach and parsley, salt and pepper and cook another minute. Remove from heat, add feta and ricotta cheese.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Slice chicken breast halves into 3 thin cutlets. Pound them to make them thinner. This helps when you wrap the cutlets. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Place just under 1/4 cup of spinach mixture in the center of the chicken. Roll it and secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent filling from coming out. It's ok if it's not perfect. The egg wash and breadcrumbs keep everything in place.
- Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs.
- Spray cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on cookie sheet. Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove toothpicks and serve.
Frozen spinach carries excess moisture that can sabotage the crispness of a breaded crust, making thorough thawing and manual squeezing mandatory before mixing with cheese. Thaw the greens entirely and wring them in a clean kitchen towel until completely dry to prevent internal steaming during baking.
Pounding the chicken cutlets to an even thickness creates a pliable canvas that rolls tightly around the filling without tearing. Use a meat mallet or a heavy-bottomed skillet, working outward from the center to flatten the meat uniformly, which guarantees even cooking times across every piece.
Securing the seams with wooden toothpicks keeps the feta and ricotta from melting out into the pan before the egg wash and whole wheat breadcrumb coating can set. Spraying the coated rolls lightly with oil before they enter the 350-degree oven promotes browning without deep frying.
Pairing these savory cutlets with a crisp, acidic green salad or roasted lemon asparagus balances the rich dairy filling. Acid cuts through the density of the cheese while contrasting textures round out the plate.
