Recipe - Marinara Chicken Florentine

This recipe uses the marinara sauce I posted on Tuesday. This is supposed to be like a healthy version of a chicken Parmesan. It was so good I didn't even miss the breading that is usually found in this type of dish.

I used non-fat mozzarella for this recipe. I have no trouble with it melting properly since it is being placed on top of and under some of the sauce. The added moisture from the sauce makes any non-fat cheese melt better. If you have trouble with it melting, covering the dish with aluminum foil will help. Using a block of mozzarella seems to taste much better than using a pre-packed shredded cheese.

A 3x5 card version of this recipe can be found here.

Serves 4

~ 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound of chicken)
~ 2 tablespoons olive oil
~ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
~ 1/2 teaspoon salt
~ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~ 1 large handful of fresh spinach
~ 4 oz. reduced-fat or non-fat mozzarella cheese, sliced thin or shredded
~ 1 cup of marinara sauce

Take the boneless skinless chicken breasts and pound them out on a cutting board using a mallet so that they are a uniform thickness all the way through. Cut each one in half to make four portions. They should weigh between 3 oz. - 4 oz. for each portion.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Season the chicken on both sides with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Saute the chicken about 3-4 minutes per side or until juices run clear. Do not overcook.

Remove the chicken and immediately place it into a glass baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Then take the spinach and add it to the same pan you cooked the chicken in to wilt it. Put a lid on the pan to help the wilting process. Should only take about a minute.

Remove the spinach from the pan, and place equal portions on top of each chicken breast in the glass dish. Top the spinach with 1/2 oz. of mozzarella and then 1/4 cup of marinara sauce. Put the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

This dish goes great with a side of spaghetti and more marinara sauce and a large helping of broccoli.