Saucy Spinach and Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chicken – Easy, delicious, yet healthy stuffed chicken breasts with spinach and cottage cheese all baked in a hot and bubbly pasta sauce.
Hello, my internet pals! How goes it? And where are we at with our resolutions?! Keeping up? I hope! It’s that time of year when we need to draw deeply upon our super powers to stay away from not-so-good-for-you meals, and dive into healthier, lighter choices.
Thank you, NatureRaised Farms®, for sponsoring this post! All opinions are always 100% my own.
Here is the plan. You and I. We are for reals. You and I share things. Things like Sheet Pan Chicken Dinners, Baked Banana Chips, New Year’s resolutions, or even a talk about a recent shopping spree at Sam’s Club where I went in to pick up five items – NatureRaised Farms® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, spinach, cottage cheese, etc… – but came out with an overflowing cart.
Happens every single time. But that’s okay because THIS incredible stuffed chicken dinner is what came out of it.
HEALTHY EATING RESOLUTIONS
About that resolutions plan, though. We as a family decided that we will stick to what we’ve been doing: eating healthier, but also eating what we crave IN moderation, move around more, and if we happen to find a money-tree, we will also vacation more. I always lose weight while on vacation because, when we aren’t at the beach soaking in the sun, all we do is walk and walk and walk some more.
I also have a few kitchen hacks that I employ in order to keep up with good eating habits.
1) bake, don’t fry.
2) don’t overdo it with the ingredients – five or six simple FRESH ingredients are enough.
3) prepare veggies + protein at all times.
4) sugar is a treat, not an entire slice of cake after dinner.
5) dance while you cook.
In keeping up with the above, here’s what we’re going to do: We’re going to go to our refrigerators and gather all of the delicious things. If those things are NatureRaised Farms® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, the ones without antibiotics and no artificial ingredients, the chickens that are fed 100% vegetarian diets?!? Perfect!
If they’re not in your fridge, no big deal. Just hop on over to your grocery store and see where you can get yourself a pack. While you’re at the store, I’m going to also need you to pick up a tub of cottage cheese, spinach, and a jar of tomato sauce.
Truth be told, sometimes all I have in the fridge are the things I just listed…
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED CHICKEN WITH SPINACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE
- Once you have all the ingredients in front of you, I am going to ask you to pound all the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Then, you are going to cut a pocket into the breast, and expand it for the delicious spinach and cottage cheese stuffing.
- When done with all of that, you’re going to arrange the chicken breasts in an oven safe pan or baking dish, top it with tomato sauce, and pop it in the oven. 45-ish minutes later, you are going to settle yourself into a cozy space and lick your fingers clean while eating this wonderful stuffed chicken.
ENJOY!
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TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
WATCH HOW TO MAKE SPINACH COTTAGE CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN
Saucy Spinach and Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper , to taste
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bag (8 ounces) fresh baby spinach
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese , divided
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup tomato/spaghetti sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- chopped fresh parsley , for garnish
- cooked whole wheat pasta (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Slightly pound each chicken breast to an even thickness - DO NOT pound it thin.
- Cut a pocket on the side of each chicken breast and carefully cut it open - DO NOT cut through.
- Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet.
- Add spinach and garlic; season with a pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes, or until wilted, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and let the spinach cool down.
- When cool enough, combine spinach, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, egg white, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl; mix and stir until well combined.
- Evenly spoon spinach mixture over prepared chicken breasts.
- Seal the chicken breasts with a toothpick and transfer to previously prepared baking dish.
- Combine spaghetti sauce and tomato paste in a small mixing bowl; stir until well combined.
- Spoon sauce mixture over the chicken pieces.
- Cover the dish and bake for 25 minutes.
- Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Put back in the oven and continue to cook for 20 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
- Serve as is or over cooked whole wheat pasta.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I love all your recipes and so do my clients. I have a small home-based cooking business and look to your recipes to add lots of variety to my menu. Thankyou for doing this
This was amazing!!! Making again this week.
I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This was tasty. Not sure I stuck to the ratios (I am sure I used much more garlic) But other than that my changes where minor: added chili flakes to tinned tomato chunks and left the cheese out from the stuffing) Very tasty dish!
Thank YOU! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I was thinking of making some awesome chicken gumbo. I bought some new spices at a little market yesterday and I have some okra in my freezer. I think it would be wonderful now that it’s getting colder! Love your recipes!
I want this for dinner tonight- What a unique use of cottage cheese 😀
Such a flavorful recipe!
I would make what I call Chicken Balboni! Boneless breasts cooked in a mixture of sour cream, mayo & parmesan cheese, with thyme sprinkled on top!
I would make my family chicken parmesan! 🙂
This recipe looks delicious! I have to try it! thanks for the chance
You have just combined some of our families favorite flavors! Saved to pinterest for the next time I get off the road and we will be enjoying your recipe made with NatureRaised® Farms Chicken Breasts and a nice bottle of wine! thanks!
I would make a nice chicken parmagiana for my family!
I would make this recipe, Saucy Spinach and Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chicken! This is going on my meal plan for this week. It looks so yummy!
I would make this delicious Spinach Cottage Cheese stuffed chicken with it!
Absolutely love the addition of cottage cheese!
I would make blue cheese chicken carbonara……. every time 🙂 Great post
I would make Chicken Cacciatore
I would make a yummy chicken parmesan.
I would make some chicken parmesan. Thanks!
I would make grilled chicken with a lemon sauce with the NatureRaised Chicken Breasts.
I am going to make Monterey Chicken — a Chili’s restaurant knockoff
I hope this hasn’t closed yet. I don’t see an expiration date.
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I want to make the saucy spinach and cottage cheese stuffed chicken recipe or chicken cacciatore.
White chicken chili sounds good right now!
I would make stuffed chicken rolls stuffed with a garlic/spinach base.
This recipe was delicious. I have a craving for Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Soup
I will make either Boneless hot wing chicken bites with NatureRaised® Farms Chicken Breasts or homemade chicken noodle soup. Maybe both!
I would love to make some yummy teriyaki chicken and grilled veggie skewers!
This is the prettiest chicken recipe I’ve ever seen. You should teach photography classes, Kate. Your photos are as stunning as your recipes.
I would make Parmesan chicken or sweet n sour chicken.
Ooooh LA LA, that looks AH-MAZING! I would make my Grandmother’s herb and cheese baked chicken dish. Happy New Year! xoxo
I love the use of cottage cheese here! It’s one of my favs and it’s so under-utilized in my kitchen. Beautiful flavor profile and beautiful meal!
I love a good stuffed chicken recipe! We’ll have to try this on the weekend!
I am getting this ready for dinner right now. I am going to try using creamy vodka prego sauce. I will let you know how it turns out. I plan on making a maple dijon chicken tomorrow night. Thanks for the chance to win!!!
I looove that vodka sauce!! 😀 How did it turn out?
It was perfect! I had leftovers for lunch today as well. My 20 month old loved it too!! This will be a family favorite for sure!! I can’t wait to try more of your yummy recipes 🙂
I will make chicken scampi.
I am Sold on this recipe for saucy spinach cottage cheese stuffed chicken! I cannot wait to try it!
I’m going to make the spinach cottage cheese chicken for sure, I also found a recipe for a Honey-Garlic Chicken that is made in the crock pot it was Great it has a great sauce when done i severed it over long grain rice and put the chicken breast on top of the rice and then spooned the sauce over the top of it… Yum-Yum
I like your recipe — looks delicious! I would also like to make my Mexican chicken casserole too.
I will certainly be making this on Sunday.
I am also making chicken with saukraut topped with swiss cheese and Thousand Island Dressing, I can’t wait for the weekend to get cooking. Love to cook
So much cheese! I love the look of these. Can’t wait to try this!
I would make this recipe ~ looks divine!!!
I love new chicken recipes and recommendations on good chicken to buy. I am going to make the spinach cottage cheese chicken for sure. Looks yummy. Can it be made in a crock pot?
Yes, I’ve pinned this and will definitely give it a try….looks so good!
I’ll serve it with a fresh green salad.
Chicken Piccata!!!
For the first time in as long as I can remember, I made no resolutions this year. And I’m totally cool with that. And this chicken. And eating a ton of it because it sounds absolutely wonderful!
This recipe looks delicious! I would probably make chicken enchiladas! Thank you for the chance to win!
Oh my gosh, I can’t stop staring at those pictures – I WANT THAT FOR DINNER!!!
I think I will make this recipe for my granddaughters birthday supper
If I’m not making this receipt which looks DELICIOUS, I saw one recently for a lemon chicken with spinach and cherry tomatoes over spaghetti squash that I have been wanting to try out. YUM!
I would make a nice chicken skillet with veggies and cheese.
i will be making stuffed chicken alfredo
I would make broccoli bacon cheddar chicken breasts .
We use chicken in a ton of recipes. I think I would use this for chicken enchiladas. .
I would make this recipe, of course! This looks absolutely delicious!!
I love Nature Raised products! This meal looks amazing!
Love the look of that stuffed chicken breast.
I am a HUGE chicken person….AND a huge cottage cheese person! I definitely need to try this!
This is one seriously delicious recipe. I’m definitely adding it to the weekly meal rotation.
I will make grilled chicken with pesto sauce
Chicken parm!
This looks absolutely wonderful! It would be a huge hit with my family!
First of all these are gorgeous and I love the cottage cheese stuffed inside! I will be making baked chicken nuggets!
I will make chicken and rice.
I’ll be making THIS! I love cottage cheese in place of ricotta so I’m loving all the flavors here!