Is there anyone out there who loves chicken but gets bored with the same ol’ recipes? Well, I’ll be the first one to raise my hand. LOL. My family loves chicken, but let’s be honest; there’s only so many ways to cook it. I found myself reverting to the same chicken recipes, so I knew that I had to make some changes.

Roasted Cream Cheese Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breast. (Andrea Mathis / Registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things)

I got this recipe idea from my hubby. Yep, that’s right; my husband is a great cook. I do most of the cooking, but every now and then he will put on his chef’s hat and whip up a masterpiece. He makes the best stuffed chicken. It’s my favorite recipe ever, but it’s not the healthiest. His recipe is stuffed and slathered with cheese, bacon … more cheese, more bacon … LOL. I guess that’s why it’s so good.

Roasted Cream Cheese Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breast. (Andrea Mathis / Registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things)

I was determined to “healthify” my husband’s recipe, so I did a little thinking and came up with this fabulous version — Roasted Cream Cheese-Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast. I omitted the bacon and extra cheese, and it turned out great. My husband didn’t want to admit it, but he really liked it. Maybe even more than his own recipe.

Roasted Cream Cheese-Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast. (Andrea Mathis / Registered dietitian and owner of Beautiful Eats & Things)

Roasted Cream Cheese-Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Click here for a printable version.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split open
• 5 ounces baby spinach leaves
• 4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried or fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees.
2. Season chicken breasts with onion powder, poultry seasoning, rosemary, salt and pepper (as desired). Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, on medium heat, add oil and sauté garlic until fragrant.
4. Add spinach and sauté for about 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat and place in a medium bowl.
6. Add cream cheese to spinach and stir until cream cheese is blended. It’s okay if there are cream cheese chunks in the mixture.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste (as desired).
8. Portion mixture evenly onto open chicken breasts and close chicken breasts. You may secure the opening with a toothpick to prevent mixture from spilling out while baking.
9. Arrange chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
10. Place 1 slice of Swiss cheese on top of each chicken breast and broil on high for about 3-5 minutes.
11. When done, allow chicken to settle for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Recipe notes

Nutritional information (1 chicken breast): calories 307, carbohydrates 4 grams, fat 18 grams, protein 47 grams, saturated fat 6 grams, fiber 0 grams, sugars 0.4 grams.

This recipe originally appeared on Beautiful Eats & Things. For more great recipes, visit beautifuleatsandthings.com.