Easy and impressive, my new spinach artichoke stuffed chicken breasts are a hearty meal-in-one, y'all. A double chicken breast, marinated in a quick chicken broth salt brine, then filled with a two-cheese and veggie filling. Sprinkled liberally with south Louisiana seasonings, then baked into melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness in less than one hour. Yep and yay...
I'd Take Home-Cooked Over Restaurant-Order Any Day of the Week, Y'all...
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. And Mark and I could go out to lunch or dinner if we wanted to, y'all. But, we both prefer home-cooked meals to busy, frantic restaurants almost always.
While we do eat out from time to time, it's more for a craving for a change of atmosphere than it is for a well-prepared meal. So, we go out to reenergize ourselves with lots of people-watching, dish-ingredient speculation, and appreciation for restaurant servers who make sure my order is 100% gluten free. Yep.
Well, it's yet another cold and damp south Louisiana winter weekend, y'all. So, I knew that we would definitely be staying home for the couples holiday. And, I wanted to create a dish that would be fresh, new, and exciting. But that would also have a lot of familiar flavors that we know and love.
So, I created these spinach artichoke stuffed chicken breasts on the fly. And while I was developing the recipe, I knew that I really wanted the chicken breasts to be overstuffed. Many stuffed chicken breast recipes contain a small amount of filling. These types require a side dish or a salad to complete them.
But, my new version calls for about double the amount of filling as I'm usually accustomed to eating. I wanted it this way so that the filling would bake into its own side dish. So, you can eat the dish as is if you so desire. Or, you can serve it alongside rice, pasta, or even gluten free bread to incorporate it into your preferred dietary lifestyle.
Any way you eat it, I think you'll be highly pleased with this recipe. It's super simple. The recipe ingredients are inexpensive and easily accessible. And, it's just so deliciously restaurant-quality that you'll likely not only want to make it for yourselves but for your friends and loved ones, too. Indeed.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Start by trimming the excess fat off of a double chicken breast or two large breasts:
Now, use a sharp knife to cut a deep pocket along the outside of each breast. Don't cut all the way through though, so the breasts will stay intact for optimal presentation:
Next, submerge the chicken breasts in the quick marinade:
Preheat the oven. And then gather the filling ingredients:
Stir the veggies and cheese together until they become one thick mixture:
Season the chicken breasts liberally with south Louisiana herbs and spices:
Place breasts in a well-greased skillet. Then, fill each chicken breast's outer side with half of the filling:
Bake until almost done, then baste with olive oil at the end of the roasting process:
And that's it, y'all!
The first thing you notice about these cheesy spinach artichoke stuffed chicken breasts is the stunning presentation. Especially if you've used a double chicken breast, because it looks like a beautiful heart!
Then, as the chicken breast slides easily off of the knife and fork, you're treated to bite after bite of highly flavorful, super tender, and juicy meat. Lastly, your taste buds stand right at attention as you relish the collective flavors of the cheesy spinach and artichoke filling. Creamy with pops of salty Parmesan cheese, sassy artichoke pieces, and rich spinach leaves, the juxtaposing filling flavors are honestly downright mesmerizing, y'all.
Share these spinach artichoke stuffed chicken breasts with those who'd rather stay in and eat with you, too. And see y'all on the yum side...
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1 double chicken breast or 2 large chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
For the Chicken Breast Marinade
- 2 cups grain free chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon gluten free Worceshertire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons salt
For the Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast
- ¾ cup thawed frozen spinach leaves, drained
- 3 ounces softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper strips
- ½ cup chopped quartered artichoke hearts, about 6 hearts
For the Seasoning-Topped Chicken Breasts
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to cut deep pockets along the outer sides of the double chicken breast or two chicken breasts. Do not cut all the way across the breast, leave about an inch or so intact to ensure a better serving presentation.
- Pour all of the chicken marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Submerge the chicken into the marinade.
- Marinade the chicken for 30 minutes then remove chicken and discard marinade.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Pour the thawed frozen spinach leaves, chopped artichoke hearts, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic and chopped roasted red pepper strips into a bowl.
- Stir the mixture until well-combined.
- Place the chicken breasts in the middle of a well-greased cast iron skillet.
- Sprinkle all of the remaining seasonings over the top of both breasts. (Keep olive oil reserved until later).
- Use a spoon to fill each breast with half of the filling. It will be a lot of filling, so lift each outer side of the breast up as high as you can so that the filling is divided evenly among them.
- Wipe off any excess filling from the side of the pan, if necessary.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then baste the breasts with the olive oil.
- Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until a digital thermometer inserted into the chicken breasts reads at least 165 degrees F.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
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