Stuffed Chicken Florentine Recipe

Prepare chicken

Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a resealable bag. Using a meat mallet or heavy pan, gently pound each breast to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Pat dry with paper towels and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper from the ingredients list.

Sauté spinach

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 6 cups fresh spinach and 1 minced garlic clove and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a fine mesh sieve or colander and press to remove excess moisture; let cool slightly and then chop coarsely.

Make filling

In a medium bowl, combine the drained chopped spinach with 1 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 1 beaten egg, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (if using). Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper as needed. The filling should be moist but not runny.

Stuff the breasts

Place a chicken breast on a work surface. Spoon about 1/4 of the filling onto the center of each breast. Fold over or roll each breast to fully enclose the filling. If needed, secure openings with 2 toothpicks per breast to keep the filling inside. Repeat with remaining breasts.

Sear the stuffed breasts

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter. When hot, add the stuffed chicken breasts seam-side down and sear until golden, about 3–4 minutes per side (turn carefully so they retain their shape). You may need to sear in batches to avoid crowding. Transfer seared breasts to a plate.

Build the sauce

Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter to the same skillet. Add the finely chopped shallot and sauté until softened, about 2–3 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant. Pour in 1/4 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth) and deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits; simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Finish sauce

Stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Bake

Return the seared stuffed chicken breasts to the skillet, spooning some sauce over each. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and bake until the internal temperature of the thickest part of chicken reaches 160–165°F (71–74°C), about 12–15 minutes depending on thickness. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes (carryover will bring temperature to safe level).

Remove toothpicks, spoon additional sauce over the breasts, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and 2 tablespoons extra grated Parmesan. Serve immediately with remaining sauce on the side.