This post has been sponsored by Albertsons. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This Tuscan inspired baked chicken is an incredibly simple yet wholesome meal. Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Tuscan Chicken Breasts are full of sun-dried tomato pesto, spinach, Italian cheeses and a blend of Italian spices. This Tuscan chicken is baked in the oven in a light spinach sauce.
You can find all of these ingredients at your local Albertsons! Thank you Albertsons for sponsoring this post.
It seems like just last week I was counting down the days ’til fall and winter, anxiously awaiting the holiday season and its impending arrival.
Somehow the holidays passed in the blink of an eye, and as bittersweet as that is, there is a part of me that’s glad to fall back into a normal dinner routine. During the holidays, we eat out a lot, as there always seems to be events and get togethers that require a quick dinner out.
Now that things have slowed down, I’m all for making simple yet elegant homemade dinners full of flavorful, wholesome ingredients.
This Tuscan chicken recipe calls for just a few simple ingredients, all of which you can find at Albertsons. If you’re a tried and true Albertsons shopper, then you already know why I shop there. 😉 If you don’t shop at Albertsons regularly, I’ll let you in on a little secret:
You probably should check out your local Albertsons.
Albertsons always has the ingredients I need right in stock and the cashiers are always incredibly friendly and helpful. Plus, the store is super clean and orderly, which makes shopping and finding my ingredients a breeze.
I adore sun-dried tomatoes. In general, I’m a tomato person (a salad just isn’t a salad without some tomatoes), and I’ll take my tomatoes in any way, shape or form. Sun-dried tomatoes have a much stronger flavor than regular tomatoes, which gives this Tuscan stuffed chicken recipe incredible flavor with just one simple ingredient.
To enhance the flavor, I used a sun-dried tomato pesto, as it pairs perfectly with the spinach and Italian cheeses stuffed inside of the chicken breasts. To enhance the flavor further, the chicken is seasoned with a combination of dried herbs and fresh rosemary, and baked in a light spinach sauce of chicken stock, milk, seasonings and fresh spinach. It adds flavor to the stuffed Tuscan chicken while also keeping it incredibly moist.
We eat chicken often in my family, and as such, I am always on the hunt to create new and fun ways to jazz up our chicken breasts. Baked chicken and grilled chicken are some our favorite go-to recipes, but if I had to pick an all-time favorite, it would definitely be some sort of easy easy stuffed chicken recipe, because the chicken always comes out extra flavorful.
Whether it’s something as simple as chicken stuffed with cheese or something a little fancier like this chicken stuffed with spinach and sun-dried tomato pesto (and cheese, because cheese always makes everything better…it’s a true-ish fact 😉), stuffed chicken recipes always feel so elegant even though they take very little effort to prepare.
I purchased these products and more at my local Albertsons but you can also stock up and save at any of the Albertsons Companies family of stores including Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, and Carrs/Safeway. Visit Albertsons.com to find a store near you and discover some fun meal prep tips and recipe ideas!
How To Stuff Chicken Breasts:
- Start with fresh, boneless chicken breasts. With a sharp knife, make a pocket inside of each chicken breast being careful not to cut all the way through the chicken.
- The amount of filling you add to each chicken breast will depend upon how large each breast of chicken is. For my medium sized chicken breasts, I added about 1 1/2 Tbsp of sun-dried tomato pesto, 2 Tbsp of grated cheese and 7-8 large spinach leaves.
- Once each chicken breast is stuffed with filling, use toothpicks to seal each breast. I used 3 in each, securing the open ends in order to keep the filling from falling out.
Tips & Tricks for this Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Tuscan Chicken Breasts:
- As mentioned above, I used a store bought sun-dried tomato pesto. If you have a homemade version you prefer, you can easily use that recipe instead. However, if you’re in a pinch or looking for something quick-and-easy, store bought sun-dried tomato pesto is amazing. In fact, love it so much, I always keep a jar in the pantry handy—you never know when you’re going to need it!
- For the sauce, I use milk and chicken stock. However, you can use heavy cream or half & half instead of milk, if you prefer. Cream or half & half will yield a richer sauce. I opted for milk just to keep things a bit lighter.
- I used a cast iron skillet for this recipe. I love how easy it is for a cast iron skillet to go from stove to oven (as the recipe does call for searing the chicken on the stove first and then baking in the oven for the remaining time). If you do not have a cast iron skillet, you can use another oven safe pan (one that you can do stove-to-oven with).
- Feel free to serve this chicken over a bed of pasta, with a side salad, roasted veggies, etc.
Don’t hate me for saying it, but these Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Tuscan Chicken Breasts? Winner winner chicken dinner.
- 3-4 boneless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, Italian blend (I used a mix of parmesan and mozzarella)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp dried garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1/4 cup milk (alternatively you can use heavy cream or half and half)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1-2 cups fresh spinach
- a pinch salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place your chicken breasts of a flat surface. Using a sharp knife, cut a long pocket in each chicken breast, making sure not to slice all the way through the chicken.
- Spoon about 1 1/2 Tbsps of sun-dried tomato pesto inside of each chicken breast. Place about 7-8 large spinach leaves and 2 Tbsp shredded cheese inside of each chicken breast.
- Secure each chicken breast with toothpicks (I used 3 in each just to be safe).
- Mix black pepper, salt, dried Italian seasoning, garlic powder and fresh rosemary together. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over each chicken breast.
- Add oil to a large skillet (I used a cast iron skillet, but feel free to use any oven safe skillet). Sear each side of the chicken breast for about 1-2 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Turn off the heat.
- Mix milk, chicken stock, garlic powder, salt and pepper together. Pour the mixture into the skillet, around the chicken. Add fresh spinach around each chicken breast. I used 1 cup of fresh spinach, but you can use more or less depending upon your preference.
Bake in the oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly (at 165 degrees Fahrenheit). Sprinkle with fresh rosemary, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Katherine Airisa says
I can’t wait to make this. I looks so tasty and elegant. Thank you for providing wonderful, easy recipes, with ingredients I have in my cupboards.
Lou says
This recipe was easy and quite delicious. Your family will think you slaved over it because it’s a beautiful presentation. Thank you.