Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Name: Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings.
Cuisine: Asian Appetizers, Asian Dinners, Indian Recipes, Italian Dinners, Italian Recipes
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped; 1/3 cup julienned soft sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped; 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided; 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided; 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each); 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided; 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed; Aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, optional

This spinach-stuffed chicken breast recipe is special to me because it has so much flavor, yet not too many calories. I love Italian food, but most of the time it is too heavy. This is a healthy twist on an Italian dish! —Nicole Stevens, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/3 cup julienned soft sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), chopped
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
Aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. In small bowl, combine the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Cut a pocket horizontally in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Fill with spinach mixture; secure with toothpicks.
In a 8-in. cast iron or ovenproof skillet, heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Brown chicken on each side. Place in oven; bake 10 minutes.
Toss asparagus with remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; add to skillet. Bake until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165° and asparagus is tender, 10-15 minutes longer. If desired, drizzle with vinegar. Discard toothpicks before serving.

Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested with soft sun-dried tomatoes that do not need to be softened in hot water.

Nutrition Facts

1 stuffed chicken breast: 347 calories, 14g fat (4g saturated fat), 111mg cholesterol, 532mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 5g fiber), 39g protein.