These easy cheesy chicken roll ups have everything you need for a healthy, delicious dinner all rolled up in a chicken breast - quinoa, spinach & lots of ooey gooey cheese.
What do you do on a Sunday? I like to fix something delicious but easy, like these Easy Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups, giving me more time to spend with my family. This would have been perfect when my kids were still young because we always liked to go to the beach or park on Sunday. Now it gives me time to spend with my husband on our newest house project or just spending a few hours on the beach to catch up with each other's news.
I first made this recipe for a contest run by Sargento & Chopped. I wanted to make an entire meal in just one dish and make it simple to throw together too. I always have quinoa made and ready to use in the fridge, whether it's for a Quinoa Tabouli or a side of Quinoa Cakes so it seemed like the perfect protein-rich carb to roll up in these tasty chicken rolls. Adding the spinach allowed me to get our veggies in too - that's a win-win!
You can also sub in your favorite cheese mixture, maybe a combo of mozzarella, cheddar or Asiago and Parmesan. This gives you a melty cheese along with stronger sharper cheeses. My secret touch was covering it with yogurt. I use yogurt to cover my chicken whenever I bake breasts because I found that it helps retain the moisture in the chicken. Some people do the same with mayo but I like the taste and texture of yogurt so much better. Give it a try next time you're baking up some chicken breasts and let me know what you think.
Just look at those beautifully browned breasts. A dinner all rolled up into one neat little package. And there's only 1 pan to clean. Make it a nonstick one and everything just washed right off. I love easy cleanup, don't you?
And there's so much yumminess rolled up inside! When you take a bite you won't believe how deliciously moist and cheesy it is.
Hope you enjoy!
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Easy Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 to 1-½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
- 4-6 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped fine or 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 pkg 5-oz baby spinach, washed
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2-½ to 3 cups packaged shredded Italian Cheese Blend
- 1 egg
- 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs (gluten-free panko can be used here)
- 5.3- oz to 6-oz plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup your favorite milk
- Garnish: chopped basil (optional)
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions if you don’t have any leftover.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse chicken breasts and place one in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Taking a tenderizing mallet, pound chicken breast until it is about ¼-inch thick. Repeat with remaining breasts. Set aside.
- In a large oven-proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté onion, pepper and garlic (if using fresh) until onions are translucent. If using minced garlic, throw in for 1 minute after onions are done. Add spinach and season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring lightly until wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add in ¾ cup Italian cheese blend and 1 cup quinoa. Stir well.
To assemble:
- On a flat plate, mix bread crumbs with ½ cup cheese blend. In a wide-mouthed bowl, crack egg and whisk lightly with a tablespoon of water. Set aside.
- Take each chicken breast and divide the spinach-quinoa mixture evenly between them. Starting at one end of the chicken breast, roll up to enclose the filling. Dip immediately into beaten egg then into bread crumbs. Place back in skillet with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- Remove from heat. Mix container of yogurt with ½ cup cheese blend and ¼ cup milk. Stir until blended. Spoon over top of the chicken roll ups, covering well. Sprinkle with remaining ¾-1 cup cheese.
- Add a little extra olive oil around chicken if pan appears dry. Place in oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- When removing pan from oven, remember to use a pot holder. I only tell you that from experience.
- To serve, place one on each serving plate and garnish with chopped fresh basil.
Nutrition
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