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    Home » Meat » Chicken

    Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni

    Lindsay Moe

    49 shares
    Chicken Cannelloni on a white plate

    Often it can be difficult deciding what to make for dinner. There are times when I struggle to come up with anything for my family to eat all week and others when a menu just seems to fall into place. I try look to things I would order in restaurants or specific ingredients I enjoy for inspiration.

    I was inspired to make this cannelloni when I was looking for a way to use some butternut squash, which is strange because there’s no squash in this recipe. I had heard of using wonton wrappers to make homemade ravioli and butternut squash as a filling. I found a recipe online but when I went to the grocery store all they had were egg roll wrappers. I ended up making some darn good ravioli, but more to the point the package of egg roll wrappers had a recipe for beef cannelloni. My family doesn’t eat much beef anymore since my two year old won’t touch it. I decided to create a chicken and spinach filling and use my own tomato sauce recipe rather than a store bought can. This cannelloni came together over nap time and it was well worth the minimal effort.

    A simple sauce comes together with olive oil, garlic, herbs, and tomatoes.

    Tomato Sauce in a small pot on the stove

    Cooked chicken breast gets shredded.

    Shredded Chicken on a cutting board

    Onions and garlic get soft and sweet. It smells amazing in here right now.

    diced onions browning in a pan on the stove

    The filling gets mixed together.

    chicken cannelloni filling in a mixing bowl

    Time to get rolling!

    Chicken Cannelloni filling on the edge of an egg roll wrapper

    Place the rolled cannelloni seam side down in the baking dish on top of half the sauce.

    chicken cannelloni in a baking dish on top of tomato sauce

    Top with the remaining sauce, cover and cook. Melt some cheese on top in the last few minutes and you’re ready for dinner! They do have a slightly different texture than an actual pasta would, but chances are you won’t care. I hope you’ll try it, or at least be inspired to try make something similar!

    Sauce:
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
    ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
    1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
    2 tablespoons chopped parsley

    Cannelloni:
    15 egg roll wrappers
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 garlic clove, minced
    1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed of excess moisture
    2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
    1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
    ½ cup Parmesan cheese
    1 cup mozzarella cheese

    Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.

    Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add three garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the red pepper and cook about 15 seconds more. Add the oregano, thyme, tomatoes, and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes.

    Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the spinach, breaking it up as you add it to the bowl. Add the chicken, ricotta, and Parmesan and stir to combine.

    Pour half the sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place about ⅓ cup filling at one end of an egg roll wrapper and roll into a log. Place seam side down on top of the sauce in the dish. Continue with remaining wraps. I overfilled a few and ended up with 13 cannelloni, not a big deal. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, making sure to moisten the cannelloni completely.

    Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the mozzarella, and return to the oven until melted, about 5-7 minutes.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kaitlin says

      November 17, 2011 at 6:27 pm

      Yummy! I love recipes like this 🙂 I hope your two year old learns the wonders of beef soon, but I think this is a recipe perfectly suited to chicken!

      Reply
    2. Mom says

      November 17, 2011 at 9:04 pm

      Another one I’m going to have to try. Dad would love this.

      Reply
    3. masagbor ekeme says

      June 06, 2014 at 7:22 pm

      This is a recipe I wil not fail to try, L♥√ع the look of it

      Reply

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    lindsay moe in a kitchen with glasses on shelves behind her

    Hi, I'm Lindsay! I've been creating easily customizable vegetarian recipes since 2011. I love the outdoors, brownies, and brand new books. I live and work in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded Wild Flour Media to expand on my love for food photography and videography to my community and beyond.

    More about me →

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    49 shares