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Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Spinach and Feta

A baked chicken breast stuffed with spinach, feta, and herbs, simmered in wine and water.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Oregano and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 791 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Spinach and Feta

Oven350°F
Time25 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the filling

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

  3. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

  4. Stir in the spinach, feta, bread crumbs, oregano, thyme, pepper and salt.

Roll the chicken

  1. Pound the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper until ¼-inch thick. Remove wax paper.

  2. Place ¼ of the spinach mixture on each chicken breast. Spread to within ¼-inch of the edge of the breast.

  3. Roll starting at the pointy bottom. Fasten with toothpicks.

Bake and serve

  1. Place the breasts in a 9-inch square baking pan. Lightly sprinkle paprika over the rolls.

  2. Pour the water and wine into the baking pan.

  3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through.

  4. Cut the rolled chicken breasts crosswise into ½-inch slices. Arrange on serving platter, pouring the cooking liquid over the sliced rolls.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

906Calories
53 gProtein
28 gFat
102 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Chicken100g cooked165
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Feta Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Wine2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)25
Shallot1 tbsp minced (10g)7
Spinach1 cup raw (30g)7
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Thyme1 tsp dried (1.4g)4
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Oregano + thymetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together791 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  2. Shallot + thymetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,476 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  3. Shallot + spinachtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together198 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

  4. Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together11,585 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Olive + thymetop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,948 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Chicken breast
Forms the wrapper and provides the main protein that holds the filling.
Feta cheese
Adds salty, tangy flavor and a crumbly, creamy texture to the filling.
Spinach
Provides moisture-rich bulk and a green, earthy flavor to the filling.
Bread crumbs
Absorbs excess moisture from the spinach so the filling holds together when rolled.
White wine
Adds acidity and aroma to the cooking liquid that moistens the chicken as it bakes.
Shallot
Adds mild, sweet onion-like aroma as it softens in the oil.

The step that matters

Rolling and fastening the chicken. If the filling is spread too close to the edge or the roll is loose, filling can leak out and the rolls may open during baking. Even spreading within the stated margin and rolling tightly, then securing with toothpicks, keeps the filling inside so the slices hold their shape.

Swap the shallot

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, spinach, feta cheese, bread, oregano, thyme, pepper):

  1. Tomatofits better
  2. Eggplantfits better
  3. Capsicumfits better
  4. Shallotthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, spinach, feta cheese, bread, oregano, thyme, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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