Healthy 'Marry Me' Chicken (with Cottage Cheese)

This healthy ‘marry me’ chicken features chicken breasts cooked with a creamy, delicious sundried tomato sauce made with cottage cheese instead of heavy cream. It’s low in fat, high in protein, easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes!

My healthy ‘marry me’ chicken is a lighter version of the original recipe by Delish. One portion has only 260 calories, 12g of fat and approx. 34g of protein. I used a combination of cottage cheese and (a small amount of) half-and-half instead of the heavy cream, as well as a little less oil. The cottage cheese adds creaminess, without the calories, boosts the protein content, helps to thicken the sundried tomato sauce and creates a delicious, tangy flavour twist.

I made my lighter 'marry me' chicken using a slightly different method than in the original recipe. Instead of just searing the chicken breasts before cooking with the sauce I tenderized and flattened the chicken first then seared it. As a result, the chicken required shorter cooking time and was superbly tender and juicy! I also cooked the entire dish on the stove top.

Healthy ‘marry me’ chicken ingredients and substitutions

• Chicken breasts: skinless and boneless.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: in oil (you can use the oil in the recipe, see Instructions).
• Garlic.
• Herbs: I used dried Italian herbs, but herbes de Provence are a good alternative. You can also use dried thyme (about ⅔ teaspoon), instead. Fresh basil adds freshness and enhances the flavour of the dish so use a generous amount.
• Red pepper flakes: you can use a (smaller) amount of chili flakes, instead.
• Cottage cheese: for best results use full fat.
• Half-and-half/single cream: enhances the flavour without too many calories and improves the consistency of the sauce.
• Chicken stock: I recommend using low-sodium chicken stock.
• Flour: thickens the sauce and makes it creamier. It also prevents the sauce from curdling (due to the addition of the cottage cheese) so it’s important to use it.
• Oil: I used the sun-dried tomato oil, but you can use extra virgin olive oil, instead.
• Salt and pepper.

How to make ‘marry me’ chicken without heavy cream: step-by-step

1. Prepare chicken: Place the chicken breasts (cut side up) on top of a large cutting board and cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan, lightly pound the thicker part of the chicken breasts to tenderize and flatten them a little. Remove the wrap/paper, season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.

2. Prepare thickening mixture: Puree the cottage cheese with cream until smooth. Whisk in the flour and set aside.

3. Sear chicken: In a large skillet/frying pan heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil, add the chicken breasts and cook over a medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl (leaving the juices and oil in the pan).

4. Add sun-dried tomatoes: To the same pan add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, dried herbs and pepper flakes and cook over a medium/low heat for about 1.5-2 minutes stirring all the time (add ½ tablespoon of oil if needed).

5. Make sauce: Add the chicken stock and immediately whisk in the cottage cheese mixture.

6. Assemble: Add the chicken (along with the juices), stir, cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (be careful not to overcook it).

TIP: Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.

7. Serve: Remove from the heat and scatter finely chopped basil leaves over the top. Serve.

Serving suggestions

My healthier sundried tomato ‘marry me’ chicken can be served with pasta, noodles, or fresh crusty bread, but it’s also delicious with potato dumplings. Vegetable sides you can enjoy it with include green beans, broccoli or zucchini. I also love it on its own.

Variations

I like this healthy cottage cheese ‘marry me’ chicken as it is, but you can tweak this recipe to suit your taste. For example, you can:

• Add spinach: one the dish is cooked stir through a handful of chopped baby spinach.
• Add cheese: for me it wasn’t needed, but you can sprinkle a little parmesan or gruyere before serving.
• Use chicken strips: if you prefer smaller pieces of chicken either cut the chicken breasts into strips or use chicken tenders (you won’t need to pound the meat). Remember to adjust the cooking time.

Can I prepare the chicken ahead

Yes, you can prepare the chicken the night before. This will save you time the following day potentially reducing preparation and cooking time to under 20 minutes.

Follow Step 1 in Instructions then cover and refrigerate the chicken. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Top tips

• I recommend pounding the chicken lightly to tenderize it and ensure it cooks evenly. This method also reduces cooking time.
• If your chicken breasts are quite large add about 1 and ½ tablespoons of flour. Larger chicken will release more juices so the sauce will need a bit more thickening.
• You can use either extra virgin olive oil or the sundried tomato oil (I used the latter).
• Make sure the cottage cheese mixture is very smooth before adding it into the sauce.
• Best served immediately.
• Leftover low-fat chicken in sundried tomato sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the meat.

Related recipes to try next

• Chicken Breast in White Sauce (Low-Fat)
• Sour Cream Chicken Pasta (Low-Fat)
• Easy Chicken Breast in Tomato Sauce

See also these other easy meal ideas!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this healthy 'marry me' chicken recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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