Spinach and feta stuffed chicken breasts with roasted broccoli
40 min · 51 g protein · 416 cals / serving
Chicken breasts cut into deep pockets and packed with spinach, feta, a little cream cheese, green onion and garlic, rubbed with paprika and roasted on one sheet pan beside broccoli that chars at the edges. The filling melts into the meat and keeps it juicy, so it reheats well for tomorrow's lunch.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 1/2 cups baby spinach, very finely chopped
- 3 oz (a heaped 1/2 cup crumbled) feta cheese
- 1/4 cup light cream cheese, softened
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 4 breasts (about 6 oz each) chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb florets (2 small heads) broccoli, cut in bite-size florets, or a 1 lb bag of florets
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, or a lemon cut in wedges
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment. Chop the spinach as finely as you can; small pieces wilt inside the chicken and keep the filling from going watery.
- Mash the spinach, feta, cream cheese, green onion, garlic and oregano together in a bowl with a fork until it holds together.
- Lay each chicken breast flat and, with a small sharp knife, cut a deep pocket into the thick long side, three-quarters of the way through, without cutting out at the far side or the ends. Spoon a quarter of the filling into each and press the edges together; a toothpick or two holds them closed.
- Rub the breasts with half the oil and season them with the paprika, garlic powder, pepper and a light sprinkle of the salt (the feta seasons the inside). Set them on one half of the pan. Toss the broccoli on the other half with the rest of the oil and salt.
- Roast 22–25 minutes, until the chicken reads 165°F in the meat beside the filling and the broccoli is charred at the tips. Rest 2 minutes while you squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat covered in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes, or in the microwave at half power, so the chicken stays juicy.
Good to know
Can I stuff them ahead?
Yes. Stuff and season the breasts the night before, cover and refrigerate, and roast them straight from the fridge, giving them 3–4 minutes longer.
Can I use cottage cheese instead of cream cheese?
Yes: blend or mash low-fat cottage cheese until smooth and use it the same way, at about 74 instead of 69. The filling is a little looser, so close the pockets well.
Per
- Calories
- 136
- Protein
- (50%)
- 17 g
- Fat
- (40%)
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- (11%)
- 4 g
- of which sugar
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 305 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1665 kcal goes into the pot and 1508 g of ingredients comes out as about 1225 g of food: 136 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.