Spinach, Pepper Jack and Ham Stuffed Baked Chicken

Delicious and nutritious

I found a good recipe online for Spinach and Pepper Jack Stuffed Chicken and decided to try it. It was good...but we made it better!

This is also a good recipe that you should make in bulk and then you've got a couple of extra meals prepared in advance. Meal preparation is HUGE when it comes to healthy eating. When meal time comes and you don't already have a plan, you are much more likely to grab some fast food, and/or make poor nutrition decisions.

Prepare in advance by cooking in bulk and you'll save time, money, and be less likely to cheat!

Ingredients:

• Thawed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (I'd suggest making 4 to 6, but that's up to you)
• Block of Pepper Jack Cheese - shredded  (Consider each chicken breast like a taco, so grate as much cheese as you want for each chicken breast. Also, some can be placed on top)
• Spinach - either frozen or fresh. Be sure to thaw first if using frozen (You'll probably need 1/4 cup for every 2 chicken breasts)
• Deli Meat Smoked Ham Slices - Use 1 slice per chicken breast, diced.
• Olive Oil - a few tablespoons for coating the breasts
• Bread Crumbs (We use a box of Italian bread crumbs)
• Cajun Seasoning (We use Tony's)

What else you will need:

• Toothpicks - make sure you have plenty
• Baking sheet/pan with a layer of tin foil on top
• Pair of tongs and pliers

It really saves time to have some help with this since you'll be handling raw chicken and not wanting to touch everything else. This is a great meal for a "dinner date" where both you and your significant other cook together.

How to make it:

1. Filet your chicken breasts so that they lay out flat. Run your thumb down the middle of the breast to break any of the connective tissues and begin spreading it. It should lay out like the photo on the right side below. Wash the chicken breasts and remove any fat or unwanted pieces of grizzle that you see.

   

   If you aren't sure how to filet the chicken, youtube is very helpful

   
   
2. Stuff the chicken breast and toothpick it shut. Add your desired amount of spinach, ham and cheese to your chicken breast. Save about 1/3 of the grated pepper jack cheese so that you can place some on top later for a melted cheese topping. Next use toothpicks to close up the chicken breast so that the stuffing does not come out. Be sure you have it closed up well...I probably use 8 toothpicks per breast because I want to make sure the cheese doesn't ooze out once it melts.

   

   The amount of filling you use is up to you

   
   
3. Coat the stuffed chicken breasts in olive oil. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out your baking sheet. Place a layer of tin foil on the pan, and pour a few tablespoons of olive oil on the foil. Use the oil to coat the outside of each chicken breast thoroughly. Use as much oil as you need to sufficiently coat your chicken.

   

   Stuffed and coated in olive oil. Tin foil keeps your pan clean

   
   
4. Add bread crumbs and season the chicken. Pour out some bread crumbs on a plate, then press the chicken breast onto the crumbs, and turn until the chicken is well coated. As an alternative, you could sprinkle the bread crumbs over the chicken, but we found that to be messier. After the chicken is coated with bread crumbs, sprinkle the seasoning to your taste onto the chicken breasts. We use Tony's Cajun seasoning and are fairly liberal with it.

   

   We use Progresso brand Italian bread crumbs

   
   
5. Bake the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. With 5 minutes left, briefly pull the rack out and coat the top of each chicken breast with the remaining pepper jack cheese, and return to the oven for the final 5 minutes. 
   
   
6. Remove the toothpicks and enjoy! When removing the toothpicks, I find it extremely helpful to hold the chicken steady with a pair of tongs, and use a pair of pliers to pull out the toothpicks. This makes the process much faster than trying to pull out the toothpicks by hand or by cutting around them. Enjoy! 

   

   Preparation is the key to healthy eating success

An awesome low carb lunch!

Again, this is a great recipe to make in bulk. It is also extremely low carb, so if you are calorie cycling, add in some broccoli (or your favorite green veggie) and/or carrots for a very fulfilling and delicious low carb meal. Not your low carb day? Add some roasted potatoes to your plate...DELICIOUSNESS!!!

Hope you like it!

Chef Major Pain :)

Scripture for the day:

John 20: 24-29
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”