The original idea with this recipe was to make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts. But I sent hubby to get this week’s groceries. I’m not sure if I’ve shared this before but sending the hubby out for groceries is always picking a random card from a deck. You never know if you will get the groceries you asked for but he will definitely come back with items you never knew about or sometimes with everything but what was on the list.
Luckily this time, I did get my chicken….. just not the breast – he came back with tenders. So imagine my surprise when I’m in the middle of making dinner and I have chicken I cannot stuff. Since it was almost dinner time and I would very quickly have 2 little munchkins turn into monsters if not fed, I had to do some quick thinking. Between my hubby’s quirky shopping and my quick thinking, I’m excited about this casserole!
The kids loved it and the hubby took seconds and leftovers to work for lunch! Talk about a win-win. Anyways, on to the this delicious recipe!
I love this recipe because it’s fairly healthy, easy to make and not much fuss! You can even make it ahead and keep it in the fridge, then just pop it into the oven when you are ready for it.
The stuffing is easy with spinach and cream cheese being the star. I kept the chicken pretty simple with just a salt and pepper seasoning because I used my Veggie Pasta Sauce for the top and then layered on some cheese to give it a little melty, gooey finish.
Try it out and tag me to tell me what you think! From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this Spinach Stuffed Chicken Casserole!
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 chicken tenders
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 c grated Parmesan
- 1 1/2 c fresh spinach
- 1 c veggie pasta sauce
- 1/4 c mozzarella cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 365 degrees F
- Coat oil evenly over all tenders then season with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper between all the tenders then set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine spinach, parmesan cheese, garlic, chili flakes, and remaining salt. Mix well to combine.
- Layer 4 of the tenders in an oven safe casserole dish.
- Spoon the spinach mixture evenly over all of the tenders in the dish then cover with the remaining 4 tenders.
- Pour pasta sauce over the chicken then sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve hot with a side of fresh bread or garlic bread!
Notes
Make this ahead of time and freeze it. Thaw it the night before you want to bake it.
For me who doesn’t like to cook. This is a family staple now!! Thank you Sapna!!!
I am so happy that this has become a family staple for you! Sharing our family favorites and seeing them become favorites in other families is such a joy!
Wow! This sounds Delicious!!
Yum! On the menu for next week already! Can’t wait!
Great recipe. Thanks Sapna