Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with creamy cheesy goodness is the perfect meal for any occasion--while secretly being low-fat and packed with vegetables!
If you ever thought that chicken breasts had to be bland and dry, think again.
I know that's what I thought. Until I met these.
Juicy chicken breasts completely stuffed with an extra creamy and rich cheese filling that I could eat by the spoonful. Then coated with a crispy golden brown crust. This is not your ordinary chicken.
Not just because of how good it tastes, but because of how healthy it is.
Did you know you could have a super creamy cheese filling that is low in fat? And packed with vegetables?
I'm here to introduce you to the chicken dinner of your dreams. You can be dieting but still eat comfort food at the same time.
How? It's all in the ingredients.😉
First up: the chicken. In order for this to be low-fat, we're using breasts, which is the lowest in fat compared to other parts of the chicken. But that doesn't mean that it can't taste as good as the others!
Try to buy yours with the bone and skin already removed. It will make your life so much easier.
We're cutting them in half so that they are easier to roll and absorb more flavor. There will be plenty of room left for the filling!
The filling is comprised of 3 different kinds of cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese.
The secret is in the fat content. The cream cheese is 50% reduced fat so that it is healthier but still has the flavor and creaminess to it. The cheddar and mozzarella are fat free! Since there is already fat in the cream cheese, we don't need anymore. And honestly, fat free tastes just as good as regular.
Then the veggies come in! They're cut small so that their flavor is evenly distributed, but not overpowering. That, along with roasted garlic makes a heavenly filling.
Finally, the crust! There are three components to the crusting stage.
First there is the flour. Whole wheat flour, in fact. Whole wheat flour has a lot more fiber than regular white flour. Yay!
But we're not stopping there. We're adding flax meal! Flax meal is also high in fiber but it also contains a punch of protein and healthy fats.🎉
If you don't have any on hand, you can skip it, no big deal. But I would highly recommend getting some for recipes like Healthy Chickpea Protein Brownies or Healthy Chocolate Chip Oat Bites !
Onion powder and garlic powder are also added to the flour-flax mixture for some more flavor!
The second bowl is eggs, which is used to bind the chicken to the breadcrumbs, which are the third bowl.
I prefer panko breadcrumbs because they are flakier, but any kind will do here.
The final special step here is to spray with a bit of olive oil so that the breadcrumbs don't dry out in the oven. The result is a crispy, golden brown crust that pairs perfectly well with the chicken and cheese!
Then you bake it and BAM! The chicken dinner of your dreams. You’re welcome.😉
If you decide to make this recipe, tag me @nutritiousdelights on Instagram in your picture--I'd love to see it!❤️
Healthy Cheese-Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped broccoli cooked
- 3 cups chopped spinach lightly packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 2 tablespoons garlic herb seasoning divided
- 3 oz light cream cheese 50% less fat
- ¼ cup fat free cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup fat free mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup low fat milk
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- In a small nonstick pan, heat up the olive oil on high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes. The vegetables should be wilted and much smaller in size. Add more oil if necessary. Reduce heat to medium high and add broccoli. Mix in about ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of garlic herb seasoning. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat up the cream cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella on low until they are all melted and combined. Slowly add in the milk while whisking. It should end up pretty thick. Mix in the vegetables. Add ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning and set aside.
- Cut each chicken breast in half widthwise so that you are left with 4 thin breasts (cutlets). Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder. Season on both sides with the remaining salt, pepper, and garlic herb seasoning.
- Set out 3 shallow bowls. In one, mix together flour, flax meal, onion powder, and garlic powder. In another, beat the eggs. In the third, put the breadcrumbs.
- Scoop as much filling as you can into each cutlet (3-4 tablespoons). It's okay if there are some exposed parts of filling. Roll the chicken so that the filling is inside.
- Cover each chicken roll first in the flour mixture, then the egg, and then the breadcrumbs. Place in the prepared baking dish. Optional but recommended--spray olive oil on top of the chicken rolls. This keeps the breadcrumbs from drying out in the oven.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. The top should be golden brown and a meat thermometer should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Optional--if you have any leftover filling, heat it up on low heat and add more milk while whisking constantly so that it thins out. This will create a sauce for your chicken rolls!
[…] to this Healthy Cheese-Stuffed Chicken , this recipe combines chicken with a cheesy filling that is packed with […]