Garlicky Spinach, Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken Breast

     How delicious does that look? I had planned on making my Cheesy Chicken Tamale Bake for dinner tonight, but at the last minute realized that I had forgotten to buy the damn creamed corn. Uggghhh. There was no time to run to the store and I had these chicken breasts that needed to be used up tonight. So I set out out to throw something together with what I had. I knew I had chicken, spinach, feta and roasted red peppers. I was tempted to throw together a really tasty salad, but didn't especially want salad. So on a whim, I threw this together. And it turned out simply delicious. It was definitely a hit in my house. Give it a try and let me know if it was a hit in your house as well, won't you?

YOU NEED:

• 4 good sized chicken breasts
• 4-5 cups of fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles (I always use the reduced fat, it is seriously just as good as the full fat!!)
• a couple slices of pepper from a jar of roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• a sprinkle of season salt
• a sprinkle of parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2.  Melt butter in a pan over medium low heat. Add your spinach. Don't worry if the pan is FULL because spinach wilts down to next to nothing. Seriously. Watch and see. Give the spinach a good stir after 2 minutes, then sprinkle in your garlic powder and give it another good stir. When totally wilted down, remove from heat.
3. While the spinach is cooking, place your knife on one long side of a chicken breast and slice horizontally through the breast but DO NOT slice all the way through. You don't want to cut it into two pieces, you want to be able to open it like a book. Repeat with all breasts.
4. Opening a chicken breast (like a book) spread 1/4 of the spinach across it, leaving a little bit of empty space on all sides.
5. Sprinkle 1/4 of the feta across and then 1/4 of the red peppers.
6. Starting on a long side, tightly roll the chicken breast up. If some filling falls out, don't worry, just stuff it back into the ends. Secure with some cotton twine or a toothpick or two. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
7. Place chicken breasts in the baking dish and sprinkle each with a little bit of season salt and parmesan cheese. Give the top of each a quick spray of your non stick spray. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts, it could take a little bit less time or a little bit more time. Be sure to check on it. Cook til juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink.

     This would be delicious with a loaf of fresh, warm bread and a salad. Or a baked potato. Or some buttered egg noodles. YUM!