Recipe: Chicken Breast Stuffed with Garlic Spinach

Re-creating restaurant recipes is no easy task. Most chefs won't reveal the ingredients in signature dishes — not even side dishes.

Recently, a friend and I shared a yummy side dish, Spinach Stir-Fried with Garlic, at P.F. Chang's in Troy, Mich.

The spinach was done just right (not overly wilted), and the garlic was present but not overpowering. When asked how the dish was stir-fried, our server told me only that canola oil was used.

Knowing that I had leftover spinach in the Free Press Test Kitchen, I was on a mission to re-create that perfectly prepared spinach in a main dish. With lots of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the freezer, I decided on a one-skillet chicken breast with some sort of garlicky spinach stuffing.

My goal was to make it easy, using minimal ingredients and leaving little mess. One skillet — make sure it's ovenproof, including the handle — is used to saute the spinach stuffing ingredients, cook the chicken and, if desired, make a pan sauce.

You need to start out with a good amount of fresh spinach because it cooks down quite a bit. For example, a 10-ounce bag of fresh spinach with the stems removed will cook down to about 2 cups, depending on how long you saute it. With this dish, you don't want to saute the spinach too long — just a few minutes will do — because you want it to have some substance so it holds together.

Many recipes that call for stuffed and rolled chicken call for pounding the chicken breasts into thin, even pieces, which can cause holes or mushy chicken. I find it easier to butterfly them.

Make sure the chicken breasts are well-chilled and slice them horizontally almost all the way through. Then open each breast up like a book. You may need to pound the center so the chicken breast is uniform in thickness.

The only other trick to this dish is to make sure you don't add too much stuffing: Leave room around the edge of the breast so the stuffing doesn't seep out.

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Garlic Spinach

Makes 4 servings 1 1/4 pounds (2 large halves) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, thinly sliced

3 large cloves garlic, peeled, minced

1/2 cup raisins

6 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese

Pan sauce, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butterfly each chicken breast by carefully slicing it horizontally almost in half but not entirely through. Open up the breast so it is flat. Using a meat mallet, pound it if necessary along the center seam so you have as uniform piece as possible. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

3. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms about 5 minutes or until just tender. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Stir in the raisins and cook 1 minute. Add the spinach and saute about 3 minutes or until it cooks down and starts to wilt. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Evenly divide and place the spinach mixture at one end of each chicken breast leaving a 1/2-inch border on the sides. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese on the spinach. Roll up the chicken, encasing the stuffing and tucking in the ends. Tie with kitchen string if desired.

5. In the same skillet, add more oil if needed, heat over medium heat. Add the chicken rolls and brown on each side. Once browned, transfer to the oven and bake 13-15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter and cover to keep warm.

6. To make a pan sauce: Set the same skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup Madeira or white wine to the skillet and deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits. Most of the wine will evaporate. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and swirl in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until it melts. Strain the sauce.

7. Cut the cooked chicken rolls into 1/4-inch thick slices and serve with the sauce if desired.

From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.