Fancy Dinner that is Easy Enough for a Weeknight

Do you want a fancy dinner that is easy enough for a weeknight? Then Stuffed chicken breasts with a simple marinara sauce is perfect.

stuffed chicken breast over spaghetti and marinara sauce on a white plate set on a table ready for dinner

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Easy Marinated Sauce

It is also Keto friendly and while some might enjoy this served over pasta, I love it over zoodles. I’ve been on a tomato kick lately. First, I love tomatoes and I also still have a ton of canned whole tomatoes and tomato sauce. I preserved more tomatoes last year than I ever have before. However, I need to slow down. Even though I’m thinking about what to plant in my gardens and I’m buying seeds, it’s still 6 more months before I will start seeing red tomatoes again.

Tomato

The tomato is the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as a tomato plant

all the ingredients for the chicken stuffing in a glass bowl ready to be mixed. It is goat cheese, parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and spices.

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Simple Marinara Sauce

Chicken Breast Stuffed with a creamy filling and topped with an easy to make marinara sauce
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: elegant meal, fancy meal, marinara sauce, stuffed chicken breast
Servings: 4 servings
Calories:

Equipment

  • 1 9×9 baking dish
  • 1 large sauce pot
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Marinara Sauce

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 oz can of whole tomatoes I use my canned tomatoes
  • 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Stuffed Chicken Breast

  • 2 chicken breast, cut in half lengthwise
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 oz freshly shredded parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained & finely chopped
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Marinara Sauce

  • Saute the onions in oil until transparent, add garlic, and saute for one more minute.
  • Add the tomatoes and the spices. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for at least 30 minutes.
    stock pot with marinara sauce cooking in it

Chicken Breasts

  • Preheat oven to 375°
  • While the sauce is simmering, mix the softened cream cheese, 1 oz of the parmesan cheese with the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spices.
    all the ingredients for the chicken stuffing in a glass bowl ready to be mixed. It is goat cheese, parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and spices.
  • Place the chicken breasts (one at a time) on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper and pound (I use a rolling pin) until they are thin, about 1/4" thick.
    a flattened chicken breast on a cutting board
  • Using a spoon put about 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto the flattened chicken breast and spread in the center. Roll up the breast starting with the smaller end.
    flattened chicken breast laying flat with the filling spread over the breast
  • Secure with toothpicks
    stuffed chicken breast with toothpicks woven into the meat to hold the stuffing into the breast
  • Place the chicken breasts (seam side down) into the 9×9 baking dish that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Brush a little olive oil over the top and cover the chicken rolls with another piece of foil. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until 145° in the center. I take the foil off when I check the chicken at 25-30 minutes.
    stuffed chicken breast in a foil lined pan ready to go in the oven
  • While chicken is cooking, boil the pasta according to package directions.
  • Slice cooked chicken and place on top of noodles and marinara sauce. Remaining parmesan cheese to garnish if desired.
  • You can also use zoodles

Notes

Some crusty french bread and a side salad make a really nice meal
Yum

Some other Tomato Based Meal

Here are a few more recipes for a fancy dinner that is easy enough for a weeknight meal.

Cheesy Lobster Ravioli with Tomato Sauce on White plate, set on a dark wood table

Cheesy Lobster Ravioli with Simple Tomato Sauce

chicken breast with tomato basil sauce on pasta

Incredibly Easy Chicken Breast Recipe

Favorite Summer Pasta Salad with a yummy tomato topping over cheesy pasta
Summer Tomato Pasta

Summer Tomato Pasta

I eat it all year long!

Meal Planning

This dish is definitely going to be on rotation when I’m planning my meals. The sauce was so easy to make. It took me 5 minutes to put it together and started it cooking. I always butterfly my chicken breasts right when I buy them and then freeze them so once it’s thawed, they’re ready to go.

I forgot to take the goat cheese block out to soften so I just unwrapped it, put it in the glass bowl, and put it in the microwave for 10 seconds and it was perfect for mixing. My family raved about this meal. It was so full of flavor and looked so pretty on the plate. Sometimes I think that the presentation sets up the mental expectation for what the meal is going to taste like!

If you want to know more about my meal planning, you can read about it HERE.

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Peace,

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2 Comments

  1. This chicken sounds so good! I’m making it. Hugs to you.

    1. It is really good and so easy!