The chicken stuffed with pesto and fat free cream cheese recipe is a great dish to serve for either lunch or dinner. It is healthy, which means you can enjoy it without guilt. It also tastes great, so you won’t be disappointed in the flavor. The best part about this dish is that it’s really easy to make! The benefits of this recipe are that it is healthy, delicious, and easy to make.
Recipe Ingredients:
| 2 | Tablespoons of reduced fat free cream cheese. |
| 1 | Tablespoon of basil pesto (store-bought or homemade). |
| – | Ground pepper to taste. |
| 4 | Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1 1/4 pounds total). |
| 1 | Egg white. |
| ½ | Cup of plain dry breadcrumbs. |
| 2 | Teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil. |
Cooking Time:
- Yield: 4 |
- Servings: Prep- 10 min |
- Cook: 20 min |
- Ready: 30 min |
Directions:
STEP 1: First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the fat free cream cheese, pesto, and chili in a small bowl with a fork.
STEP 2: Cut a thin half of a chicken breast into this section by making a horizontal slit along the long edge, roughly in opposite directions.
Open each breast separately and place one-fourth of the filling in the center.
STEP 3: Now close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly to seal. Then repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg whites with a fork.
STEP 4: Take a glass bowl and put the breadcrumbs in it. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip it in the egg white, then roll the chicken pieces in the breadcrumbs. (Omit the rest.)
STEP 5: Now heat a large oil in a medium size nonstick wok over high heat.
STEP 6: Add the chicken breasts to the hot oil and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, brown-side up, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the thickest part of the chicken breast reads 165F.
STEP 7: About 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken. Remove from the oven, and allow resting 5 minutes before serving.
Health Benefits of Chicken Stuffed with Pesto and Fat Free Cream Cheese:
Chicken is one of the most popular meats in the world. However, there are some people who are allergic to chicken. In this case, they should not eat it. For those who can eat it, they definitely make this delicious chicken stuffed with pesto and fat free cream cheese recipe which is packed full of nutrition that helps you in the keto diet.
When you try to make this dish it is a good idea to consider what kind of food you put inside the chicken. You can stuff it with pesto and fat free cream cheese and then bake or fry them. This will give you a delicious meal with a lot of health benefits and nutritional facts as well.
The stuffing will make your meal more flavorful, but also more nutritious. The pesto contains omega-3 fatty acids which are very healthy for your body and brain while the cream cheese provides a high protein content which is essential for muscle growth and development.
Health Benefits of Chicken:
Chicken is rich in protein which helps to fulfill your daily requirements, and helps in weight loss and the keto diet. PubMed Central Says Every person should have a dietary amount of intake of 1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 g protein per kg which needs to run functional activities such as promoting skeletal-muscle protein accretion and physical strength.
This also contains a good Fat, vitamin B. The National Institute Of Health says B vitamins like vitamins B6 and B12 have very important roles in producing energy and strength, DNA synthesis, brain health, and vitamins (B9/B12/B6) that are the most vital B-vitamins that are involved in homocysteine metabolism.
Chicken also contains other vitamins like Riboflavin, Zinc, Niacin, Potassium, and selenium. PubMed Central Selenium plays a vital role to boost your immune system, helping to properly function and progressing HIV to AIDS.
They also say that Selenium deficiency can be a cause of some diseases, and it has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, infertility, myodegenerative diseases, and cognitive decline.
Nutritional Fact of Chicken:
100 Grams of Chicken contains…
| Calories129 | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|
| Total Fat 3 g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 5% |
| Trans Fat 0 g | – |
| Cholesterol 73 mg | 24% |
| Sodium 132 mg | 6% |
| Potassium 0 mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0 g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0 g | 0% |
| Sugar 0 g | – |
| Protein 24 g | 48% |
| Vitamin C | 2% |
| Iron | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0% |
| Magnesium | 0% |
| Calcium | 1% |
| Vitamin D | 0% |
| Cobalamin | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 1% |
Health Benefits of Cheese:
Cheese is a great source of calcium, which is good for bone health, protecting your teeth from cavities, and dairy products help to eliminate vitamin D deficiency. PubMed Central states’ evidence suggests, that dairy products that are linked to milk and cheese have a neutral effect on cardiovascular outcomes.
They also say fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, kefir, and cheese may have a positive or neutral effect. It is also a good source of fat, and protein. There are other vitamins and minerals like higher amounts of Omega- 3 fatty acids, low fiber, High saturated fat, vitamins A and B12, along with zinc, phosphorus, and riboflavin.
Nutritional Facts of Cheese:
100 Gram of Cheese contains…
| – | Type | Calories | Carbs | Protein | Fat | Calcium | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| feta | soft | 265 | 3.9 grams (g) | 14.2 g | 21.5 g | 38% of the daily value (DV) | 50% of the DV |
| mozzarella | semi-soft | 296 | 4.4 g | 23.7 g | 20.4 | 53% of the DV | 30% of the DV |
| Swiss | semi-firm | 393 | 1.4 g | 27 g | 31 g | 68% of the DV | 8% of the DV |
| cheddar | firm | 409 | 2.4 g | 23.3 g | 34g | 54% of the DV | 28% of the DV |
| Parmesan (grated) | hard | 420 | 12.4 g | 29.6 g | 28 g | 68% of the DV | 76% of the DV |
| blue cheese | blue-veined | 353 | 2.3 g | 21.4 g | 28.7 g | 41% of the DV | 50% of the DV |
| American | pasteurized | 368 | 5.3 g | 18 g | 30.6 g | 67% of the DV | 72% of the DV |
