SPINACH & RICOTTA
​STUFFED CHICKEN.

A lightly crusted chicken breast stuffed with a blend of ricotta and mozzarella cheese, spinach, and fresh tomatoes. Baked to perfection and topped with a homemade marinara sauce, this dish will
​have you reaching for seconds!
Prep: 20 m • Preheat: 350° • Bake: 1 h • Yields: 8

CAN I SUBSTITUTE?

If you’re not too into ricotta cheese, you can use any form of cheese you’d like! Using mozzarella or parmesan would be perfect, too. You could also replace the spinach with broccoli, or any other veggie you think would work well. As for the sauce, you could even use a creamy sauce instead of marinara! Whatever you prefer.

WHAT DO I SERVE IT WITH?

As for sides, you can eat this Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Chicken with either rice or pasta. If you make it with pasta, it could be similar to Parmesan crusted chicken! Or you could even make pasta with alfredo sauce for this recipe instead of a basic spaghetti. The world is yours! I’m just here to give you the basics.

INGREDIENTS.

For the stuffed chicken:
  • 8 thin-cut chicken breasts
  • 16 oz ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup frozen spinach, or more
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Oregano
  • Italian bread crumbs
  • Mayonnaise (optional)

For the homemade marinara:
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Dash of sugar
  • Dash of oregano

Notes:
  • You will need plenty of toothpicks to hold the chicken together.
  • Make sure you count the toothpicks you use so you know how many you should remove later.
  • You can use jarred marinara sauce or make your own cream sauce using chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, salt, black pepper, and corn starch.

DIRECTIONS.

Stuffed Chicken:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. After washing and patting dry the chicken breast, be sure that each piece is at most 1/4 inch thick. Put about 1/4 tsp mayo on each chicken breast and rub into one side (this is to make the chicken less dry — thanks Mary 😉). Then, season generously with salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, and a dash of oregano. Rub into the same side.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella, thawed spinach, and diced tomatoes. Then, season the mixture with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, mixing it in. Spoon about 2-3 tbsp of the cheese mixture into the center of each chicken breast. Then, roll the chicken over the stuffing, leaving the tip at the top. Pierce with toothpicks to ensure it’s tightly secured in position. I used about 7 toothpicks per stuffed chicken. Repeat for all pieces!
  3. After they’re all rolled and pierced with toothpicks, spice the outside with salt, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, and oregano. Be sure to get the bottom as well by carefully holding one piece at a time. Set all the chicken on a flat baking pan with foil on it (for less mess).
  4. Drizzle olive oil all over the chicken. Sprinkle a good amount of Italian breadcrumbs on each piece of chicken. Place in the oven to bake for 55 minutes.
  5. After 55 minutes, remove from oven and carefully remove all the toothpicks. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded mozzarella over all the chicken. Place in the broiler for a few minutes, or until golden and the cheese has bubbled.
  6. Serve over pasta or rice and spoon the homemade marinara sauce all over it!

Homemade Marinara:
  1. ​​Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the can of tomato sauce.
  2. Season generously with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of oregano. Mix in well and allow it to cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add a dash of sugar and mix in well. Taste to adjust anything you’d like. Then, allow it to simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
  4. Serve over Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Chicken and enjoy!

STUFFED WITH A BIT OF HEAVEN.