Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Between the tender and juicy stuffed Farmer Focus chicken breasts and the unbelievably delicious creamy sauce, you're going to fall head over heels for this chicken recipe!
Optional: Shredded Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for topping
Instructions
Mix together the oregano, pepper, garlic, and salt. Carefully butterfly your chicken breasts by running your knife ¾ of the way through the side of the breast. This will create an opening for you to place the stuffing in. Spread the chicken breasts open and sprinkle the seasoning mixture on all sides of each of the chicken breasts. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, basil and sundried tomatoes. Carefully stuff each of the chicken breasts with the mixture.
Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Place an oven-safe skillet on your stovetop over medium heat. Add the oil and once the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan. Allow them to sear on each side for about 4 minutes, carefully flipping them over so the stuffing doesn’t come out. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on your meat thermometer.
While the chicken is cooking, create the sauce by heating the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the minced onion and saute until very soft. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, oregano, basil and garlic powder. Stir until the mixture comes to a simmer. Lower the heat slightly and stir in the milk. Take out a few tablespoons of the liquid and place it in a small bowl. Add the tapioca starch or flour and whisk it in with the reserved liquid so a slurry forms. Pour the slurry back into the skillet and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. If the sauce gets too thick, you can add a little more milk or broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Once the sauce has reached your desired thickness, stir the spinach into the sauce and any additional sundried tomatoes you’d like, then remove the sauce from the heat. The residual heat in the pan will help wilt the spinach. You can also stir in some shredded romano or parmigiano for a cheesier, richer sauce.
Place the cooked chicken pieces into the sauce and spoon some sauce on top of each chicken breast. Top with fresh basil and shredded cheese, and serve alongside your favorite pasta or side dish.
Video
Notes
Use sundried tomatoes that are packed in olive oil for the best flavor. You can even use the oil that the tomatoes were packed instead of the olive oil when making the sauce. I find this gives the dish the best flavor.
I used two different pans in this recipe (one to make the chicken and one to make the sauce) to cut down on how long the dish takes to make, but you can definitely make it all in one pan, which will also give the sauce even more flavor. Simply wait for the chicken to cook, then remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Make the sauce in that pan and then add the chicken back to the pan once the sauce is prepared.
To save time and cut down on ingredients, you can also use your favorite Italian Seasoning blend instead of using individual herbs and spices for the chicken and the sauce.
For a kick, add some red pepper flakes.
Any type of full-fat milk should work for this dish: whole milk, coconut milk, full-fat almond or cashew milk.