Do you ever have days when you realize you’re in a rut… or at least your dinner table is in a rut?  That’s how I felt today when I opened the fridge to grab some chicken and make dinner.  Was planning to make breaded chicken which is a favorite with the honey man (I usually just pan fry some for me with lemon rather than breading it as I’m gluten-free) and then thought I’d mix things up a little and make something different.

Took a quick look at what else I had in the fridge and came up with this recipe.  Tasted great!  Plus I got to try my hand at making ricotta which was new for me.  Enjoy!

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken

For the ricotta

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

For the chicken

4 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 clove garlic, minced
2 whole eggs, beaten
8-ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1 14-ounce jar tomato sauce or equivalent home made tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the ricotta: Set a large colander over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the colander.

Pour the milk and cream into a pot.  Stir in the salt.  Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.  Allow mixture to stand for 1 minute.  It will begin to curdle.  Don’t worry, that’s what you want.

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined colander and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl so that it does not get incorporated back into your mixture.  Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and discard the cheesecloth.  Note: If you do not use all of the ricotta for this chicken preparation, you can refrigerate the remaining ricotta.  It will keep for 4 to 5 days.

To prepare the chicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.  Slit open on the side for stuffing and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, garlic, eggs and 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese.  Mix well and stuff each breast with 1/4 of the mixture.  Secure with toothpicks (or twine if you run out like I did!) and place stuffed breasts in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish.  Pour the tomato sauce over all the chicken breasts and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Kitchen Table Talk…

Do you ever get in a dinner rut? How do you break free from the same old, same old pattern?  Feel free to share your creations in the comment area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

Who Is The Accidental Chef?

Deborah, or iDeborah as she’s affectionately known on Twitter, loves to experiment in the kitchen. She started this blog to encourage others to get creative in the kitchen… and to record some of her accidental creations so she can enjoy them again! To learn more about what she does when she’s not in the kitchen, visit iDeborah.com