This bound-to-be-a-classic features a chicken breast that is hasselbacked and stuffed with spinach & ricotta, then sprinkled with a grated Italian-style cheese crumb. Served with a roasted butternut couscous salad that brings a nutty, sweet taste to the table.
Spinach & Ricotta Hasselback Chicken
Spinach & Ricotta Hasselback Chicken
with a roasted butternut and couscous salad & mixed nuts
Hands on Time: 25 - 40 minutes
Overall Time: 40 - 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- Baby Tomato Medley
- Butternut
- Cheesy Rub
- Chicken
- Free-range Chicken Breast
- Free-range Chicken Breasts
- Grated Cheddar Cheese
- Mixed Olives
- Nut Mix
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Ricotta Cheese
- Salad Leaves
- Spinach
- Whole Wheat Couscous
From your kitchen:
- Oil (cooking, olive or coconut)
- Salt & Pepper
- Water
- Paper Towel
- Sugar/Sweetener/Honey
GO
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the butternut chunks on a roasting tray. Coat in oil and season. Roast in the hot oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked through, shifting halfway. Using a bowl, submerge the couscous in 125ml of boiling water. Add a drizzle of oil and gently stir through with a fork. Cover with a plate and steam for 5-8 minutes until tender. Fluff up with the fork.
PREP
Place the nut mix in a pan over medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until brown. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cheesy rub, the grated cheddar cheese and seasoning.
STUFFING
Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add the rinsed spinach and sautée for 1-2 minutes or until wilted and all the excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Place in a bowl along with the ricotta and seasoning. Mix until combined.
CHICKY
Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towel and place on a chopping board. Using a knife, make little pockets for the stuffing by cutting 3 or 4 horizontal incisions along the width of the breast, about one finger apart. (Don’t cut all the way through!) Season and coat in oil. Fill each incision with about 1 tsp of the ricotta mix – don't worry if it spills out.
BAKE
When the butternut has been roasting for 10 minutes, pop the hasselback chicken on the roasting tray with the butternut. Roast for the remaining time until cooked through. When the chicken has 10 minutes remaining, sprinkle the cheesy crumb over the chicken and put the oven on to grill setting or the highest temperature for the final 5 minutes.
SALAD
Drain and halve the mixed olives. In a salad bowl, combine the vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, a sweetener of choice (to taste), and seasoning. Add the shredded salad leaves, the couscous, the roasted butternut, the halved olives, and the halved baby tomatoes. Toss until combined and set aside.
YUM
Plate up the hasselback chicken. Side with the couscous salad. Sprinkle over the toasted nut mix.
Butternut - 250g
Whole Wheat Couscous - 75ml
Nut Mix - 20g
Cheesy Rub - 27,5ml
Grated Cheddar Cheese - 30g
Spinach - 20g
Ricotta Cheese - 40g
Free-range Chicken Breast - 1
Mixed Olives - 40g
Red Wine Vinegar - 15ml
Salad Leaves - 20g
Baby Tomato Medley - 80g
GO
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the butternut chunks on a roasting tray. Coat in oil and season. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through, shifting halfway. Using a bowl, submerge the couscous in 250ml of boiling water. Add a drizzle of oil and gently stir through with a fork. Cover with a plate and steam for 5-8 minutes until tender. Fluff up with the fork.
PREP
Place the nut mix in a pan over medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until brown. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cheesy rub, the grated cheddar cheese and seasoning.
STUFFING
Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add the rinsed spinach and sautée for 1-2 minutes or until wilted and all the excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Place in a bowl along with the ricotta and seasoning. Mix until combined.
CHICKY
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel and place on a chopping board. Using a knife, make little pockets for the stuffing by cutting 3 or 4 horizontal incisions along the width of the breast, about one finger apart. (Don’t cut all the way through!) Season and coat in oil. Fill each incision with about 1 tsp of the ricotta mix – don't worry if it spills out.
BAKE
When the butternut has been roasting for 10 minutes, pop the hasselback chicken on the roasting tray with the butternut. Roast for the remaining time until cooked through. When the chicken has 10 minutes remaining, sprinkle the cheesy crumb over the chicken and put the oven on to grill setting or the highest temperature for the final 5 minutes.
SALAD
Drain and halve the mixed olives. In a salad bowl, combine the vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, a sweetener of choice (to taste), and seasoning. Add the shredded salad leaves, the couscous, the roasted butternut, the halved olives, and the halved baby tomatoes. Toss until combined and set aside.
YUM
Plate up the hasselback chicken. Side with the couscous salad. Sprinkle over the toasted nut mix.
Butternut - 500g
Whole Wheat Couscous - 150ml
Nut Mix - 40g
Cheesy Rub - 55ml
Grated Cheddar Cheese - 60g
Spinach - 40g
Ricotta Cheese - 80g
Free-range Chicken Breasts - 2
Mixed Olives - 80g
Red Wine Vinegar - 30ml
Salad Leaves - 40g
Baby Tomato Medley - 160g
GO
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the butternut chunks on a roasting tray. Coat in oil and season. Roast in the hot oven for 35-40 minutes until cooked through, shifting halfway. Using a bowl, submerge the couscous in 375ml of boiling water. Add a drizzle of oil and gently stir through with a fork. Cover with a plate and steam for 5-8 minutes until tender. Fluff up with the fork.
PREP
Place the nut mix in a pan over medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until brown. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cheesy rub, the grated cheddar cheese and seasoning.
STUFFING
Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add the rinsed spinach and sautée for 2-3 minutes or until wilted and all the excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Place in a bowl along with the ricotta and seasoning. Mix until combined.
CHICKY
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel and place on a chopping board. Using a knife, make little pockets for the stuffing by cutting 3 or 4 horizontal incisions along the width of the breast, about one finger apart. (Don’t cut all the way through!) Season and coat in oil. Fill each incision with about 1 tsp of the ricotta mix – don't worry if it spills out.
BAKE
When the butternut has been roasting for 10 minutes, pop the hasselback chicken on the roasting tray with the butternut. You may need to use a separate tray. Roast for the remaining time until cooked through. When the chicken has 10 minutes remaining, sprinkle the cheesy crumb over the chicken and put the oven on to grill setting or the highest temperature for the final 5 minutes.
SALAD
Drain and halve the mixed olives. In a salad bowl, combine the vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, a sweetener of choice (to taste), and seasoning. Add the shredded salad leaves, the couscous, the roasted butternut, the halved olives, and the halved baby tomatoes. Toss until combined and set aside.
YUM
Plate up the hasselback chicken. Side with the couscous salad. Sprinkle over the toasted nut mix.
Butternut - 750g
Whole Wheat Couscous - 225ml
Nut Mix - 60g
Cheesy Rub - 82,5ml
Grated Cheddar Cheese - 90g
Spinach - 60g
Ricotta Cheese - 120g
Free-range Chicken Breasts - 3
Mixed Olives - 120g
Red Wine Vinegar - 45ml
Salad Leaves - 60g
Baby Tomato Medley - 240g
GO
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the butternut chunks on a roasting tray. Coat in oil and season. Roast in the hot oven for 35-40 minutes until cooked through, shifting halfway. Using a bowl, submerge the couscous in 500ml of boiling water. Add a drizzle of oil and gently stir through with a fork. Cover with a plate and steam for 5-8 minutes until tender. Fluff up with the fork.
PREP
Place the nut mix in a pan over medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until brown. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cheesy rub, the grated cheddar cheese and seasoning.
STUFFING
Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add the rinsed spinach and sautée for 2-3 minutes or until wilted and all the excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from the pan and roughly chop. Place in a bowl along with the ricotta and seasoning. Mix until combined.
CHICKY
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towel and place on a chopping board. Using a knife, make little pockets for the stuffing by cutting 3 or 4 horizontal incisions along the width of the breast, about one finger apart. (Don’t cut all the way through!) Season and coat in oil. Fill each incision with about 1 tsp of the ricotta mix – don't worry if it spills out.
BAKE
When the butternut has been roasting for 10 minutes, pop the hasselback chicken on the roasting tray with the butternut. You may need to use a separate tray. Roast for the remaining time until cooked through. When the chicken has 10 minutes remaining, sprinkle the cheesy crumb over the chicken and put the oven on to grill setting or the highest temperature for the final 5 minutes.
SALAD
Drain and halve the mixed olives. In a salad bowl, combine the vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, a sweetener of choice (to taste), and seasoning. Add the shredded salad leaves, the couscous, the roasted butternut, the halved olives, and the halved baby tomatoes. Toss until combined and set aside.
YUM
Plate up the hasselback chicken. Side with the couscous salad. Sprinkle over the toasted nut mix.
Butternut - 1kg
Whole Wheat Couscous - 300ml
Nut Mix - 80g
Cheesy Rub - 120ml
Grated Cheddar Cheese - 125g
Spinach - 80g
Ricotta Cheese - 160g
Free-range Chicken Breasts - 4
Mixed Olives - 160g
Red Wine Vinegar - 60ml
Salad Leaves - 80g
Baby Tomato Medley - 320g
Woolies Products in this dish
