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8/3/18

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts (or plan B - Stuffed Chicken Tender Cups - Coils) with Bacon and Parmesan



Last night I had my phone with me in the kitchen so as I made dinner, I just grabbed it and posted the steps to my Instagram account.  You know, that is a LOT easier than taking photos and uploading or sending them to my blog files and then opening each one to put a water mark on it (because stealing happens - it happened to me) and then typing out the recipe here and posting the darn thing.

Life.  Life is busy.  And running a blog/website takes time.  Time I just haven't had lately, although I'm hopeful that as we get through August, life will maybe slow down a bit and I can give more than a passing quick post to this site again.

So I'm going to cheat a little and give you the photos from my Instagram story AND the text with it, which was the 'recipe' I used - because I didn't use one obviously.  I just whipped this up.  And oh it was good.  SO SO GOOD.  It will be made again soon.


Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts or Chicken Tender Coils with Bacon and Parmesan

Fresh Garlic - about a tablespoon
Olive Oil
Garlic Salt - about 1teaspoon or more (taste test)
Onion Powder - 1/2 teaspoon maybe
Spinach - about 10 oz.
Ricotta Cheese - about 1 cup
Salt and Pepper
Chicken Breasts (2-3-4 for this recipe's amount of spinach/cheese mixture - depends on how big the breasts are)
OR Chicken Tenders (which are just sliced up raw chicken breasts)
OPTIONAL:  Parmesan Cheese and a slice or two of bacon


Pour some olive oil in your pan, heat to medium high and add garlic.  Cook for just a minute or so and add the spinach (partially frozen is fine or thawed or even fresh chopped) and add your seasonings.  Cook just a couple minutes until heated through and wilted.  Add the ricotta cheese, turn off the heat and stir until smooth and melted.  Taste test to see if you want to add more salt or garlic salt to your own preferences.

  • If you are using chicken breasts, you can either slice along one side, and carefully cut a 'pocket' into the breast, without cutting all the way through.  It will look like a pita pocket - only chicken.  If you happen to cut all the way through, don't sweat it.  Just pile the filling on the breast, top with the upper slice and no one will know or care.  
  • If you want to make the chicken coils (or cups) either slice the breasts thin, or use chicken tenders.  Coil them into a large sized muffin tin (use liners if you wish or if you have ugly tins but they aren't needed).  Scoop a large spoonful or two or three into the center of the chicken coiled in the muffin tin.  Depending on how many tenders you have - I got 4 large muffin tins round out of my single package of chicken breast tenders from Sam's Club.  
  • Another 'pretty' option is to lay the whole chicken breast flat, and carefully make slices down into the breast, about every 1/2 inch.  Do not cut all the way through though!  Spoon the spinach filling between each 'slice'.

Sprinkle the tops with Parmesan and if you wish (I do) to use bacon, cut up your slice of bacon to dice it and place the raw dices on top of your chicken breasts or coils.

Bake at 400 until your chicken is done and the bacon (if using) is crisp.  The little tender coils take anywhere from 25-35 minutes and the breasts take about 45-55. 






Garlic how I love thee, let me count the ways…



Add 10 ounces of spinach and season with some garlic salt and onion powder and a little salt and pepper…



Add about a cup of ricotta and sister just until it melts into the spinach mixture and remove from heat.



Keeping it real y’all… That moment when you realize you thawed A package of breast tenders and not chicken breasts. So you immediately come up with a Plan B.



Get out a large muffin tin and coil the chicken breast tenders in the cups, fill the centers with the spinach ricotta mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 400° for approximately 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is done.



Straight from the oven… Spinach and ricotta stuffed chicken tender coil’s. At the last second I topped them with pieces of bacon because bacon.



Dinner is served. Enjoy.




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