Spinach And Olive Stuffed Chicken Thighs Recipes

STUFFED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SPINACH AND CREAM CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Line pan with foil or parchment paper sprayed with oil to keep pan from getting sticky and for easier clean-up.
• In a medium bowl mix spinach, cream cheese, ⅛ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Then set aside.
• Unroll chicken thighs, season both sides with remaining salt.
• Divide cream cheese mixture between chicken thighs, putting it into the middle of each one.
• Roll the chicken thigh back up around the stuffing and secure with a toothpick.
• Place chicken thighs on pan, toothpick-side-up. Bake for 30-35 minutes until temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer.

SPINACH AND SWISS CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Filling: Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the spinach, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp paprika and stir. Cook for 2 minutes then let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Add the 1 cup of the Swiss cheese to spinach mixture and mix.
• Season: Pat dry chicken thighs; lay them flat, inside up. Season the thighs on both sides with oregano, salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
• Roll: Place 2 tbsp of spinach and cheese mixture on each thigh, evenly dispersing the remaining filling among the thighs as needed. Roll the thighs and secure with toothpicks, 2 per thigh.
• Make sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together, and pour over the thighs.
• Bake: Place the thighs to a 8x8-inch baking dish or a 9x13-inch baking dish, depending on the size of the chicken thighs. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the chicken. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
• Serve: Serve over cooked rice or mashed potatoes.

SPINACH AND OLIVE-STUFFED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Marinating chicken thighs: In a mixing bowl rub thighs with salt, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, marjoram and pepper. Add the olive pieces and garlic, mix well. Cover and marinate for 6 hours.
• Spinach stuffing: In a large pan melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add spinach and 3/4 cup dill, cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle squeeze excess moisture from spinach mixture and toss with feta cheese, salt and pepper. Reserve.
• Avgolemono sauce: In a small saucepan saute leeks in 2 tablespoons butter. Add chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes. In a separate saucepan melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add flour and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain stock into the roux all at once, whisking until thickened. Reserve. Stuff and saute chicken thighs: Remove olives from the marinade. Chop into small pieces and mix with spinach mixture. Remove chicken thighs from marinade, discard garlic pieces. Smooth out skin of each thigh and create a pocket. Divide spinach mixture and stuff each thigh between skin and meat. Dust with flour on both sides. Heat two skillets over medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in each. When foam subsides, add 3 chicken thighs to each skillet. Saute for 5 minutes per side or until golden brown.
• Yogurt garnish: In a bowl mix together yogurt and 1/2 tablespoon chopped dill.
• To finish: Beat eggs, 1/4 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup dill into sauce. Taste for seasoning. Warm gently over low heat; do not boil, it will curdle. Drain chicken thighs on paper towels. Place each on dinner plate and pour warmed sauce around. Top with 1 tablespoon of yogurt garnish and a small sprig of dill.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper and place in an earthenware baking dish in one layer, skin side up. Sprinkle with red pepper, garlic, fennel and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Rub seasoning into thighs on all sides. Tuck lemon wedges here and there. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put baking dish in oven, uncovered, and roast until skin browns lightly, about 20 minutes. Scatter olives evenly over chicken and add broth. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour, until meat is very tender when probed with a skewer.
• Remove thighs and lemon wedges and arrange on a platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and quickly skim fat from surface. Over high heat, simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Spoon juices over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SHALLOTS & SPINACH

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until a thermometer reads 170°, about 6 minutes on each side. Remove from pan; keep warm., In same pan, cook and stir shallots until tender. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook until wine is reduced by half. Add spinach and salt; cook and stir just until spinach is wilted. Stir in sour cream; serve with chicken. Freeze option: Before adding sour cream, cool chicken and spinach mixture. Freeze in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through slowly in a covered skillet, stirring occasionally, until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°. Stir in sour cream.