Deliciously Light Baked Tuscan Chicken Recipe enthusiasts

[ad_1]

Learn how to make a lighter version of the classic baked Tuscan chicken with this recipe. Eating healthy does not mean eating boring food, so I recommend you try this delicious dish that”s great for lunch or dinner. This is a low, 1 WW point meal, which leaves room for a tasty side.

The classic recipe — as tasty as it is — can be high in calories since it includes large amounts of oil, heavy cream and cheese. This recipe maintains the flavor and creaminess while keeping it like by substituting a few ingredients to lower fat and calories. This saves WW points!

Some of my favorites to serve with this chicken are baked potatoes or fresh pasta — try my roasted garlic parmesan potatoes, which are 4 WW points per serving. And this is a perfect meal for your weekly prep session.

In addition to the step by step on how to prepare this chicken, you will also be able to see some tricks that will help to elevate the dish and you can easily apply them to other recipes. Enjoy!

baked tuscan chicken an potatoes

Why you should try this lightened up version of baked Tuscan chicken

  • It’s perfect for those moments when you want to eat healthy but also have that craving for something homemade and comforting. Or maybe you want to show off a bit with a delicious recipe for friends and family.
  • It is easy to prepare and you can store it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, which makes it an excellent option for your weekly meal prep sessions. Serve it with potatoes, salads, rice or even in a wrap.
  • This recipe is high in protein and low in carbs — unless you add in potatoes or pasta, of course!

Ingredients

  • 2.2 lb of chicken breasts.
  • ½ cup of fat free greek yogurt, unsweetened
  • ¼ cup of fat free milk
  • ¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes 
  • 2 cups of spinach
  • ¼ cup of parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoon of italian seasoning
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch (optional — helps keep sauce from breaking)

tuscan chicken cooking in pan

How to make this recipe (step by step)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Cut your chicken breast into 6-8 pieces. You can also cut them smaller and have them like tenders.
  3. Season the chicken with Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper on each side. Make sure to cover it completely.
  4. Grab a large skillet, previously coated with cooking spray, and place it over medium to high heat. When hot, add your chicken pieces. We want to cook it until golden on the outside on each side. This will take about 1 to 2 minutes per side. At this point the chicken shouldn’t be cooked on the inside. They will be finished in the oven.
  5. When your chicken is ready, set aside.
  6. In the same skillet where you were browning the chicken, add in the unsweetened greek yogurt, fat free milk minced garlic, salt and pepper. If you don’t have garlic cloves, feel free to use garlic powder. Stir to combine all the ingredients and to include the flavor the chicken left in the pan. (If you are having trouble with sauce breaking see tips and tricks section)
  7. If you are using a cast iron skillet you can leave the ingredients in it. If you need to change into a baking pan, coat it with some cooking oil first, then add the sauce and place the chicken on top.
  8. Add your sun dried tomatoes over the chicken, try to use medium size pieces, if they are too big, cut them in half.
  9. Before putting the chicken in the oven and sprinkle the parmesan cheese covering completely.
  10. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and flip the chicken and put it back in the oven for 10 minutes more.
  11. For the last 5 minutes add the spinach and give it a stir.
  12. When ready, serve as you prefer and remember to grab sundried tomatoes and spinach to add on top.

bite of baked tuscan chicken

Variations and substitutions

  • Not a spinach fan? Don’t worry, you can use some chopped parsley instead, about 2 tbsp, to keep some of the green on your plate.
  • If you are having a hard time finding sun dried tomatoes, replace them with cherry tomatoes sliced in half, which are much easier to find.
  • The parmesan cheese is a key ingredient because it has a strong flavor but if you don’t have it on hand, replace it with mozzarella.
  • If you have any chicken legs or thighs leftover in the fridge, you can easily try this recipe using those pieces instead. 

Tips and tricks

  • When you cook with yogurt your sauce can break. To prevent this, let the yogurt come close to room temperature before putting it in the sauce. Don’t let the sauce boil, and add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the yogurt before cooking.
  • You can cook this recipe entirely on the stove as well. Make sure to follow all the steps the same but instead of baking, place it on the stove on low heat with the lid on.
  • You can split the recipe and make the creamy sauce as a side dip. You’ll be able to store it in a glass jar for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Related recipes

tuscan chicken and potato in sauce

baked potato wedge with tuscan sauce

baked tuscan chicken an potatoes

Deliciously Light Baked Tuscan Chicken

A lighter version of the classic Tuscan chicken recipe that’s Weight Watchers friendly at only one WW point!