Spinach and Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Parmesan – this baked chicken recipe is the bomb when it comes to flavor! The chicken is stuffed with spinach and cream cheese and coated with a crispy breadcrumb coating.
Tender and juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and flavorful throughout. Best part? All you need is one pan.
So Good Seconds!
Have you ever made something so good that you just knew you would have a hard time controlling your portions? Something so yummy that you couldn’t wait to have leftovers?
Yep. That was me – with this Spinach and Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Parmesan dish!
And I guarantee it’s about to be you, too!
If chicken comes stuffed – you better believe I am going to eat it! Unless it’s with olives. Then simply throw that in the trash. Throw anything with olives in the trash for that matter. Kind of like those marshmallow peeps at Easter. There needs to be a meme for olives!
Sorry to any and all who may love olives. You more than likely will not see much for recipes from me with them. I’ve tried liking them.I really have. I’ve tried many variations. I just can’t make myself like them.
Getting sidetracked…
If you’re looking for the perfect, juicy, yet crispy dish to make for yourself, your significant other, or your family tonight – make this dish! I promise not to steer you wrong with how incredibly delicious it is!
I mean, look at that stuffing.. the cheesy topping… that crispy coating. You cannot deny that it’s calling your name. Or is that your tummy talking? FEED IT THIS.
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Tips
- When slicing the chicken breast – carefully hold the chicken breast in the palm of your non-dominant hand like a hot dog bun. With your dominant hand, slice down the middle, lengthwise from side-to-side, but do not slice from corner to corner. You want to slice approximately 3/4 of it. Be sure to keep the edges intact. Use your fingers to carefully open the center of the chicken breast – like you’re creating a pocket.
- If you have leftover filling – place it into a pan along with the chicken breast towards the end of baking. Or when you add the cheese and marinara -add the additional filling to the pan then. I think it helps with keeping the chicken extra-moist. And let’s be honest — it’s too delicious to discard.
- Be sure to bake this in an oven-safe pan or dish. If you’re looking for a wonderful cast iron pan, I highly recommend the Cuisinart Cast Iron Fry Pan.
Nutritional Information Note
This recipe makes 4 fairly large stuffed chicken breasts, so the breakdown found on the nutrition label reflects that. I ate about 1/2 – 2/3 of a breast with my meal. So if you’re looking for a smaller portion, aim for making this recipe with 6 smaller chicken breasts.
- Breakdown for 1 of 6 chicken breasts/servings: 403 calories, 19.3g fat, 8.1g sat. fat, 0.8g polyunsaturated fat, 2.5g monounsaturated fat, 0g trans fat, 166mg cholesterol, 946mg sodium, 498.1mg potassium, 17.8g carbohydrates, 2.6g fiber, 3.6g sugar, 41.6g protein, 58.9% vitamin A, 25.6% calcium, 14% iron
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Spinach and Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
Chicken:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast ( - 4 to 6 breasts)
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (to taste)
Filling:
- 5 oz fresh spinach (chopped)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (- 3 or 4 cloves)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup regular cream cheese (- you can use regular or fat-free)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Coating:
- 1/4 cup flour (- I used whole wheat)
- 1/2 cup Panko* breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper (- to taste)
- 2 eggs (-whisked)
Topping:
- 1 cup marinara sauce (- or your favorite sauce)
- 1/2 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese
- chopped basil ((optional - for garnishment))
Additional Items:
- 12+ toothpicks
Instructions:
- Rinse the chicken breast under cold water to remove any juices from the packaging. Pat dry.
- Coat each breast with the seasonings listed under the 'Chicken' section: garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Slice each breast of chicken down the center from edge to edge, lengthwise, 3/4 of the way. Be careful to leave the ends uncut. You want to create a pocket in the center of the breast. Use your fingers to open up the chicken breast. Set aside.
- Place a nonstick, oven-safe pan over medium heat with butter. When the butter has melted, add the chopped spinach and cook until it has wilted.
- As the spinach is cooking, add the remaining ingredients for the filling to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Once the spinach has wilted, add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add to the mixing bowl. Wipe pan with a paper towel to clean - you will use it to bake.
- Mix the filling ingredients well to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- To 3 separate dishes: 1. Flour 2. Eggs - whisked 3. Breadcrumbs, italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Start stuffing each breast with the filling. I find that it is best to hold the chicken breast like it's a pita pocket. Open the center of the breast as well (and carefully) as you can and stuff as much of the filling into each breast as you can. Close each breast with toothpicks.
- Time to coat. First, dip the breast in the flour, then the whisked eggs (be sure to allow any excess to drip off), and then into the breadcrumbs mixture. Allow the breast to be fully coated in each dip - especially the breadcrumb mixture. It helps to use both hands to mold/pat the crumbs firmly into place.
- Spray the same pan (or a baking dish) with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer each breast over to the pan, leaving a little room in between each to bake.
- Allow to bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove from oven, add the cheese and then the marinara (or vise versa) to each breast. Place back into the oven to melt the cheese and warm the sauce. Keep an eye on it.
- Remove and serve with your favorite pasta or vegetable side dish. Enjoy!
Notes:
Nutritional Information Note:
This recipe makes 4 fairly large stuffed chicken breasts, so the breakdown in the nutrition label reflects that. I ate about 1/2 - 2/3 of a breast with my meal. So if you're looking for a smaller portion, aim for making this recipe with 6 smaller chicken breasts.- Breakdown for 1 of 6 chicken breasts/servings: 403 calories, 19.3g fat, 8.1g sat. fat, 0.8g polyunsaturated fat, 2.5g monounsaturated fat, 0g trans fat, 166mg cholesterol, 946mg sodium, 498.1mg potassium, 17.8g carbohydrates, 2.6g fiber, 3.6g sugar, 41.6g protein, 58.9% vitamin A, 25.6% calcium, 14% iron
- When slicing the chicken breast - carefully hold the chicken breast in the palm of your non-dominant hand like a hot dog bun. With your dominant hand, slice down the middle, lengthwise from side-to-side, but do not slice from corner to corner. You want to slice approximately 3/4 of it. Be sure to keep the edges intact. Use your fingers to carefully open the center of the chicken breast - like you're creating a pocket.
- If you have leftover filling - place it into a pan along with the chicken breast towards the end of baking. Or when you add the cheese and marinara -add the additional filling to the pan then. I think it helps with keeping the chicken extra-moist. And let's be honest -- it's too delicious to discard.
- Be sure to bake this in an oven-safe pan or dish. If you're looking for a wonderful cast iron pan, I highly recommend the Cuisinart Cast Iron Fry Pan.
