Greek Stuffed Chicken Breast

My Greek Stuffed Chicken Breast is an easy gourmet dish that dresses up everyday chicken with a cheesy spinach stuffing….and it’s healthy and nutritious and tasty too!

Native to Southeast Asia, spinach is rich in folate, fiber and iron along with cancer-fighting carotenoids. The spinach and cheese combination provides a creamy stuffing and ensures that the chicken breasts remain moist and tender during baking.
Goat cheese, or chevre, incorporates a pleasant, complex and tangy flavor. Chevre is one of the oldest of dairy products and is typically lower in fat than cheeses made from cow’s milk.

Sun-dried tomatoes and capers provide an intense flavor that pairs well with the spinach mix. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which research indicates can actually reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Add in a measure of fresh herbs, spices and top with a simple sauce veloute and you have a delicious, healthy chicken breast entre that is succulent, and easy to make.

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 bag 14 oz frozen chopped spinach
• ½ medium onion, minced
• 2 or 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 4oz Sundried tomatoes in jar or already hydrated
• 4oz Capers
• 2 oz Goat cheese
• 2oz Cream cheese
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning dry spices (or sprigs of fresh oregano)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Slit chicken breast with long skinny knife from thick end of breast creating a pocket in the middle. Make the pocket as big as you can. Do not allow knife to cut through and make another hole (all the good stuff will leak out during cooking).
3. In a large sauté pan on low heat, add frozen spinach to thaw and the water to evaporate from the spinach.
4. Bring heat up to medium and move spinach over to side of pan Add a small amount of olive oil and place garlic and onion in the oil. In another spot in the same pan add the sundried tomatoes and capers.


Click to enlarge image

5. After two minutes push all ingredients in the sauté pan to the middle and mix. Continue to move mixture to make sure nothing is sticking.
6. Turn heat off, but leave pan on burner.
7. Add the Goat cheese and cream cheese to the warm spinach mixture and mix well. Take pan off stove or to a cooler burner.
8. Stuff chicken breasts with spinach mixture. Lots of spoonfuls fit in there. Just make sure you can pinch the opening closed. “Yes, it’s messy”.
9. Heat a clean large sauté pan on medium high heat and add a small amount of olive oil to the pan.
10. Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and allow to brown on both sides.
11. Transfer chicken to a glass baking dish or use the same sauté pan if the handle is oven proof.
12. Sprinkle Italian spices over chicken and bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165f


Click to enlarge image

13. Remove pan from oven and allow chicken to rest whole for 10 minutes.
14. Slice, plate and coat with the sauce

Chicken Velouté Sauce

Velouté is one of the five “mother sauces” of classical cuisine. It can be made with any white stock, but this version is made with chicken stock.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tbsp Flour
•  1 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1 tsp Chicken bouillon granules
•  Salt & Pepper
•  Dried Italian Seasoning

Preparation

1. Combine flour and butter to make a roux (Culinary Classroom lesson 6)
2. Take off the heat and allow to cool
3. After a few minutes you can add a third of your stock, stir continuously, when all of that stock is absorbed, add the rest of the stock, stirring continuously. This will thicken as it cooks for another 5 minutes.
4. Add bouillon granules and a light sprinkle of the Italian blend of herbs, stir, set aside for plating

My Greek Stuffed Chicken Breast is an excellent choice if you’re taking a meal to someone in need. Check out TakeThemAMeal.com. They simplify meal coordination so friends, family, neighbors and co-workers can show they care.