Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast

4.98 from 42 votes

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken is a delicious way to turn a creamy dip into an incredible dinner! Serve it with a creamy sauce for added flavor!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: stuffed chicken breasts

 

Servings: 4 people

 

Calories: 483kcal

 

Author: Karina

Ingredients

CHICKEN:

• 2 pounds (1 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon mild paprika (optional)
• salt and pepper to season

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP:

• 4 oz (120 g) frozen spinach, thawed
• 8 oz (250 g) block cream cheese, (light or reduced fat), at room temp
• 6 oz (170 g) bottled or canned artichoke hearts in brine, finely chopped (SEE NOTES)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Salt to taste

OPTIONAL CREAM SAUCE:

• Remaining spinach / artichoke dip
• 1 cup half and half or heavy cream

Instructions

For The Chicken:

• Place each chicken breast on a flat surface. Season both sides of each breast with the Italian seasoning and paprika. With your hand supporting each piece, cut a slit or pocket about 3/4 quarter of the way through, being careful not to cut all the way.

For The Dip Filling:

• Squeeze any and all excess liquid out of the spinach and discard the water. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the spinach, cream cheese, artichokes, mozzarella, parmesan and garlic; mix well to combine.
• Stuff chicken with 1-2 tablespoons of the spinach artichoke dip, spreading evenly with the back of the spoon. Reserve the leftover dip for later.*
• Seal chicken breasts with two or three toothpicks near the opening to keep the dip inside while cooking.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet or non stick pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken until golden. Flip and sear on the other side, covering pan with a lid, until cooked through, (about 6 to 7 minutes per side). Transfer chicken to a warm plate to make the cream sauce.

For The Cream Sauce:

• Combine half and half or heavy cream with the remaining dip (you should have exactly half remaining). Stir until sauce is combined and thickened. Add the chicken back into the pan and serve immediately!

Notes

Don't like artichokes? Replace them with an extra 4 oz | 120 g of frozen and thawed spinach.

*The cream sauce is optional! If you're not wanting to make it, HALVE the DIP ingredients in the ingredients list to ensure there is no leftover dip.

If you're wanting to save the reserved dip for later instead of using it in a cream sauce, simply refrigerate it up to 4 days OR freeze up to 3 months in a plastic container. When ready to use, mix 1/2 cup milk or cream through to thin the consistency and reheat over medium-low heat.

NUTRITION INFORMATION INCLUDES THE SAUCE!

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4255IU | Vitamin C: 14.4mg | Calcium: 491mg | Iron: 3.7mg

Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon

5 from 22 votes

Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon

Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon in garlic butter is a new delicious way to enjoy salmon! Filled with cream cheese, spinach, parmesan cheese and garlic, this salmon beats anything found in a restaurant. A low carb salmon recipe that includes pan fried AND oven baked methods!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Salmon, Salmon Recipe, Stuffed Salmon

 

Servings: 4 people

 

Calories: 428kcal

 

Author: Karina

Ingredients

Salmon:

• 4 skinless salmon fillets
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Filling:

• 4 oz (120 g) cream cheese at room temp
• 4 oz (120 g) frozen spinach thawed
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Garlic Butter:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Place each salmon fillet on a flat surface. Season both sides with salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice. Cut a slit or pocket about 3/4 quarter of the way through, being careful not to cut all the way.
• Squeeze excess liquid out of the spinach discard liquid. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the spinach, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
• Fill salmon 'pockets' with 1-2 tablespoons of the spinach dip, spreading evenly with the back of the spoon.

For Stove Top:

• Heat butter and remaining oil in a skillet (or non stick pan) over medium-high heat. Add the salmon and fry until golden (about 6 to 7 minutes). Carefully flip and allow to cook on the other side until golden and cooked through (another 6-7 minutes, depending on the size of your fillets).
• Optional: cover with a lid and continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes, if necessary, until cooked through. 
• Transfer to a warm plate to make garlic butter.
• Garlic Butter: Melt the butter in the remaining oil/juices in the pan leftover from the salmon. Add the garlic and lemon juice; saute until garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove and serve with the salmon.

For Oven Baked Salmon:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place stuffed salmon fillets in a shallow lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until salmon is cooked through, opaque in centre and flakes easily with fork. 
• Pour pan juices out into a skillet or frying pan. Add butter, garlic and lemon juice; saute until garlic is fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove and serve with the salmon.

Notes

For remaining cream cheese mixture!

If you have too much cream cheese, you can create a creamy sauce with it for serving:

1. Mix remaining cream cheese mixture with 1/4 cup fish or chicken stock and 1/4 cup heavy cream (or thickened cream) in saucepan.
2. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently, until combined and warmed through.

If you're wanting to save the reserved dip for later instead of using it in a cream sauce, simply refrigerate it up to 4 days OR freeze up to 3 months in a plastic container.

Nutrition

Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 1044mg | Vitamin A: 3590IU | Vitamin C: 7.8mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2.7mg

Grilled Chicken Street Tacos

Mouth-watering Mexican grilled chicken layered on corn tortillas with fresh pico de gallo. These are the BEST chicken tacos!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

 

Servings: 4

 

Calories: 241kcal

 

Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 20-22 mini white corn tortillas , warmed on a skillet*
• Pico de gallo
• 1 /2 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
• fresh lime juice
• hot sauce , optional (our favorite for Mexican food is Valentina)
• sour cream , optional

For the Marinade:

• 4 Tablespoons orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1½ Tablespoons lime juice
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 1½ Tablespoons ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Make chicken marinade by combining all marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken thighs. 
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Preheat grill over medium-hight heat. Oil the grill with canola oil or spray generously with cooking spray. Remove chicken with marinade and place on hot grill. 
• Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once (thickest part of the chicken thigh should register about 165 degrees). 
• Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes before chopping into small pieces.
• Layer two warmed mini corn tortillas together. Top with chopped chicken, pico de gallo, cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream (optional). Spritz with a little bit of lime juice. Serve immediately.
• Serve with a side of Mexican Rice or another Mexican side dish.

Notes

*you don’t have to double-up on the tortillas to serve them. If you choose not to, then you only need about 10-12.

 

Tips for making perfect street tacos are listed above in the post!

Nutrition

Serving: 3tacos | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1475IU | Vitamin C: 10.9mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2.5mg

Deep Dish Stuffed Pizza! 🍕

Deep Dish Stuffed Pizza! 🍕

INGREDIENTS:

For the Dough:

3¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

1½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast

1¼ cups water, room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon + 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup grated onion

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

¼ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Toppings:

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

(Pepperoni)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Make the Dough: Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl.

Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of the bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (You can easily make this by hand, mixing in the water and butter with a spatula and then kneading by hand.)

Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using a greased spatula, transfer the dough to the bowl, turning to coat the dough in oil; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.

Make the Sauce: While dough rises, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to about 2½ cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Laminate the Dough: Turn the dough out onto dry work surface and roll into a 15×12-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border along the edges. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten the cylinder into an 18×4-inch rectangle.

Cut the rectangle in half crosswise. Working with one half, fold into thirds like a business letter; pinch seams together to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining half. Return balls to the oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower position and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake the Pizzas: Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons of olive oil each.

Transfer 1 dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch circle. Transfer dough to the pan by rolling the dough loosely around a rolling pin and unrolling into the pan. Lightly press dough into the pan, working into corners and 1-inch upsides. If dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with remaining dough ball.

For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella evenly over the surface of the dough. (If you’re using any meat or veggie toppings, add them now, on top of the cheese.) Spread 1¼ cups tomato sauce over the cheese (or toppings) and sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Festive Cranberry Margarita

 

 Festive Cranberry Margarita

This Festive Cranberry Margarita is perfectly sweet and  a great drink choice to enjoy during the Holiday season! Only 5 ingredients needed to create this tasty concoction!

Prep Time5 mins

Course: Drinks

Keyword: christmas, cranberry, margarita

Servings: 1

Calories: 213kcal

Author: The Cookin' Chicks

Equipment

• Cocktail Shaker
• Margarita Glasses

Ingredients

• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1.5 oz tequila
• 1/2 oz triple sec
• 1/2 oz simple syrup

Instructions

• Add ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
• Strain and pour into a margarita glass over ice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink | Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 44mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin C: 14mg | Iron: 1mg