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READY IN 55 mins

Spinach Pesto Chicken Breasts

Read Reviews (40)

"I came up with this while trying to get my husband to eat more veggies." — DRAGONNKITTEN

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Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
2 tablespoons basil pesto, or to taste

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

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Directions

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Mix the spinach and pesto together in a bowl; spread half the mixture into the bottom of a glass baking dish. Place the chicken breasts onto the spinach mixture; top with the rest of the mixture. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has begun to melt and brown, about 15 minutes.

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PREP 10 mins
COOK 45 mins
READY IN 55 mins

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This is a good base recipe. I followed other reviewers suggestions. I added the following: 4T of pesto (instead of 2), 1 t minced garlic & 1 t white wine to the pesto mix. I layered in with the chicken: 1/2 a chopped onion, 1/2 a roasted pepper (chopped), mushrooms. Amazing!!!! Don't forget to sprinkle the chicken breasts with some salt and pepper. Next time I'm thinking I'll add some grilled asparagus (anything to get more veggies in our diet!) Thanks for the excellent starting point!

—bekbaby

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Most Helpful Critical Review

May 11, 2010

A little bland so I jazzed it up with some fresh chopped garlic and I let the chicken breasts marinate in the pesto-which I doubled overnight. A great base recipe for a busy working person

—KMARTGIRL21

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57 Ratings

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Jul 15, 2010

This was good, but just a little bland. I would recommend seasoning the chicken breasts with salt and pepper before placing on the spinach and pesto. I did use about double the recommended pesto.

—Pam-3BoysMama

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Mar 16, 2011

What I like about this recipe is there are so few ingredients. I usually have to log onto my computer to pull up recipes but this one, I remembered right off hand! I used much more pesto then called for (or in my case 'to taste') and added a pinch of seasoned salt to the chicken. Instead of putting the ingredients on top, I split the chicken breasts in have and stuff them. Also added shredded mozzerella, mushrooms, and onions. We at with a side of mashed potatoes. Very good!

—RiceLover

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Oct 11, 2011

OK, so this time I broke my own rule -- which is to always make the recipe as-is the first time through (how else are ya gonna' know, right?) I followed the other reviewers' suggestions, adding minced garlic, diced onions, and some fresh sliced mushrooms, along with lots more pesto & a little white wine. The results were great! My conclusion is that this is a great base recipe, and has lots of room for versitility. We will definitely keep this as a regular item on our menu.

—Sherrie Cumming

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Feb 14, 2012

5 stars with some small changes. After reading the reviews I added more pesto. I make a light pesto in the summer (less than half of the regular oil) and freeze it, used about 6 cubes. I also salt/pepper'd the chicken prior to putting it in the baking dish. Finally, I added some garlic and diced sun-dried tomatoes to the mixture. It came out so good my fiance complimented the recipe about 4 times while we were eating! Delicious!

—ssteinberg

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Jun 09, 2010

Excellent! I added some fresh minced garlic as was suggested and it was delicious! This'll be on the frequently made chicken recipes list for me! Thanks for posting this!

—Val

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Sep 03, 2010

this was awesome. made exactly like recipe, except didn't measure. just eyeballed spinach. i'm gonna make lasagna with the leftovers. this is fancy enough for company. and sooooo easy.

—nancyh

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Nutrition

Calories
179 kcal
9%

Carbohydrates
1.3 g
< 1%

Cholesterol
69 mg
23%

Fat
7.1 g
11%

Fiber
0.6 g
3%

Protein
26.5 g
53%

Sodium
169 mg
7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Spinach Pesto Chicken Breasts

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 179
Calories from Fat: 63

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7.1g 11 %
Saturated Fat 2.2g 11 %
Cholesterol 69mg 23 %
Sodium 169mg 7 %
Potassium 325mg 9 %
Total Carbohydrates 1.3g < 1 %
Dietary Fiber 0.6g 3 %
Protein 26.5g 53 %
** Sugars 0.1g
Vitamin A 37 %
Vitamin C 10 %
Calcium 14 %
Iron 16 %
** Thiamin 7 %
Niacin 119 %
Vitamin B6 32 %
Magnesium 15 %
Folate 23 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.