Zucchini Stuffed Chicken

I love zucchini. I find it to be so versatile. I particularly like to shred it and toss it into all kinds of dishes. If you have a picky eater, particularly one who won't eat vegetables, that is a great way to get some veggies in! This chicken came out great and the filling was excellent. John and I were smearing our extra filling into our orzo because it was just that good. I remember regretting that I didn't make extra cheesy zucchini filling because we both loved it. Since I'm now dairy free AND soy free this recipe is off the table since the cheese I used was soy based, but once I'm back to eating "normal" I'm going to make this again with real cheese. Ahhh... real cheese... one day. ::wink wink::

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 thin chicken breasts
1/2 zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry
1/4 cup cream cheese*
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese*
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup marinara sauce
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- In a small bowl combine the zucchini, cream cheese, parmesan, and Italian seasonings. Mix well until well incorporated.
3- Spoon the filling evenly over each chicken breast. Fold the breast in half and secure tightly with toothpicks. Dip in egg, then bread crumbs. Lay into a baking dish with the marinara spread on the bottom. Spray the top with cooking spray.
4- Bake 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (can vary up to 40 minutes if using thick chicken).

DAIRY FREE SUBSTITUTES:
2 tbsp parmesan cheese- sub 1 heaping tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cream cheese- sub 1/4 cup Tofutti brand cream cheese