Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

1. Preheat the oven to 430°F/ 220°C. Lightly brush or spray the baking dish with olive oil.

Spinach:

1. Finely chop the onion and 2 of the garlic cloves. Wash the spinach in a sieve, shake lightly, but don’t dry it, chop it roughly.1 small onion + 2 from 3 garlic cloves + 9 oz fresh spinach/ 250 g
2. Saute: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan. Sauté the onion and the garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and let it wilt.1 tablespoon from 2 tablespoons olive oil
3. Remove from the pan and let cool completely (spread it on a larger plate, so that it cools faster).
4. If using frozen spinach (45 oz/ 125 g), let it thaw completely and squeeze it very well with your hands to remove the excess water. In this case, leave out the cooking (including the onion) and only add the raw grated garlic clove to the filling.

Chicken:

1. Make slits into the chicken breasts taking care not to cut all the way through, only about ¾ way into the meat, using a sharp knife.4 chicken breasts
2. Brush or rub the meat with the remaining oil. Mix the seasoning and season the chicken generously on the outside and the inside.1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder + ¼ teaspoon onion powder + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder + ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes + fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Filling:

1. Combine cream cheese, cold spinach, crumbled feta, grated garlic clove, a little salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mash with a fork until well combined.3.5 oz cream cheese/ 100 g + 3.5 oz feta cheese/ 100 g + 1 garlic clove + fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Stuff:

1. Divide the filling into 4 equal portions (eyeballing is fine) and stuff each chicken breast.
2. Secure with a toothpick. Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before serving.
3. Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F/ 74°C. Chicken breasts weighing around 6.5 oz/ 180 g will need about 20 minutes, while those weighing around 9 oz/ 250 g will need about 25 minutes. The best way to check is with a meat thermometer; it ensures the meat is safe but not overcooked.