This healthy Marry Me Chicken is the perfect one-pan dinner. The juicy chicken breast is tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce that tastes absolutely decadent, but this lightened up version only feels indulgent. It’s naturally high in protein and lower in fat so you can enjoy it any day of the week. It’ll be love at first bite! {Gluten-free}
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Healthier Marry Me Chicken with Cottage Cheese
The original Marry Me Chicken recipe went viral on social media awhile ago thanks to its perfect combination of easy and out-of-this-world delicious. Really, it’s all about that sauce! Most versions use cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes for a rich, intensely flavored dish. Although it absolutely tastes delicious, the cream cheese packs in a lot of calories quickly.
I’ve adapted this healthier version with protein-packed cottage cheese to boost the protein and cut down on calories – without sacrificing any of the flavor. It’s seriously so good!
For more tomato-based cottage cheese recipes, you’ll also want to check out this Tomato Soup with Cottage Cheese and Pasta with Cottage Cheese Sauce!
Elysia’s Recipe Recap
Taste: Tangy, rich and creamy, and infused with flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes
Ease: There are a few steps, like pounding the chicken, cooking it to perfection, and preparing the sauce, but it’s all comes together easier than you’d think
Nutritional Benefits: This healthier Marry Me Chicken recipe uses cottage cheese for richness and creaminess instead of cream cheese, which increases the amount of protein and reduces the fat and calories. You still get tons of flavor from the seasonings, tomato, and more, but with a lower caloric impact. The chicken breasts also pack in lots of lean protein for a balanced meal.
Recommended? Absolutely! The perfect chicken dish for a special occasion, date night, family dinner, or any occasion you want something really delicious to share.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Pound these to an even thickness to tenderize them and make them faster and easier to cook.
- Seasonings: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add some dried oregano and optional red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Tomato paste: This adds a slightly savory, umami flavor that works well with the sundried tomatoes.
- Fresh garlic: For a distinctly savory flavor and wonderful aroma.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: To help the sauce reach the desired consistency.
- Cottage cheese: I like to use cottage cheese instead of cream cheese for the creamy sauce. It tastes nearly the same, but has way better macros to make the whole dish a little more balanced.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil: Tangy sun-dried tomatoes are like flavor gold. They make anything taste better and infuse the most incredibly bright, refreshing flavor into the sauce.
- Fresh baby spinach: Wilt some fresh spinach into the sauce for a little color contrast and some extra greens.
- Parmesan cheese: The cheese will melt into the sauce to add a salty, savory flavor.
- Garnishes: Top with fresh chopped fresh basil, parmesan cheese and chopped sun dried tomatoes for a little extra color and flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet until uniform in thickness and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy non-stick or cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the seasoned chicken to the pan and cook, undisturbed until the chicken breast is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- While the chicken is cooking; in a high powered blender, blend together the cottage cheese, ½ cup of the chicken broth and sun dried tomatoes until smooth. If necessary, you can add in the remaining ¼ cup chicken broth to the blender to help get it a smooth consistency. Set aside.
- When chicken is browned, remove it to a plate and add in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened slightly. Stir in the cottage cheese mixture and whisk until fully combined. If you find the sauce to be too thick, add in the rest of the chicken broth or a splash more if you need it. The sauce will loosen as it heats up. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and place the chicken breasts back into the pan.
- Cover and simmer until the seared chicken is almost cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, stir in the spinach and parmesan cheese and replace the lid, cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ on an instant read meat thermometer, and the spinach has wilted down, about 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped basil, grated parmesan cheese and chopped sun dried tomatoes. Serve with pasta or crusty bread and a salad.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Expert Tips
- I used a drier, small curd cottage cheese for this recipe. If your cottage cheese is more soupy, you may wish to strain it before blending to avoid a sauce that is too liquidy. A 2% or 4% fat cottage cheese would work best for this recipe. I recommend avoiding fat free versions, as you want a little bit of fat to give the sauce that creamy mouthfeel of using a heavy cream in the traditional recipe, and the lower the fat, the more chance your dish will curdle instead of being smooth.
- I like to add some spinach to this recipe, you could also add chopped kale in its place, although you may wish to add it a bit sooner so it has some time to soften a bit.
- I used the sun dried tomatoes that are jarred in oil for this recipe. I find that the dried tomatoes in the bags tend to be very fibrous and tough and don’t break down in the sauce as well. If this is your only choice, I would consider reconstituting them slightly to help them blend into the sauce better. Just pour some very hot water over them and let them soak for a few minutes before draining the water off.
- Depending on the amount of moisture in your cottage cheese, you may wish to add more or less chicken broth to the sauce. This is why I like to start with only adding a ½ cup and then seeing if I need more before adding it to the sauce. You may find that you wish to add some more as it cooks to thin it out a bit, which is the perfect solution.
Recipe FAQs
Blended cottage cheese is really the perfect swap for cream cheese in any cream sauce. It’s rich, creamy, and has a similarly salty flavor profile. You can also use low-fat cream cheese, but it won’t add nearly the same amount of protein!
They’re really key to the flavors in this creamy Tuscan chicken dish. If you can’t use them for some reason, try using roasted red peppers instead and add a little more tomato paste.
Storage Guidelines
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through. I would not recommend storing this one in the freezer as the creamy sauce may separate after thawing and reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy Tuscan Marry Me chicken with pasta, a crisp salad, like this tossed green salad, or crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
I usually like to serve it with extra veggies on the side, like seasoned green beans or asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, summer squash, and more.
Feel free to garnish with fresh basil on top for a fresh note to balance the flavors in the dish.
Recipe Variations
- Increase the fiber: Serve over a bed of high fiber or chickpea pasta to make the dish more filling.
- Add wine: After browning the garlic, add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and infuse an extra sweetness into the flavorful sauce.
- Try other proteins: Instead of chicken, try pork chops, salmon, shrimp, or even crispy breaded tofu patties. There are lots of options!
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Apple and Brie Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Basil Chicken Meatballs
- Baked Pesto Salmon Recipe
- Walnut Crusted Salmon
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Marry Me Chicken with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4 small
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- 3 tablespoons jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh chopped basil, parmesan cheese, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes for garnish
Instructions
- Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet until uniform in thickness and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large, heavy non-stick or cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the seasoned chicken to the pan and cook, undisturbed until the chicken breast is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side.
- While the chicken is cooking; in a high powered blender, blend together the cottage cheese, ½ cup of the chicken broth and sun dried tomatoes until smooth. If necessary, you can add in the remaining ¼ cup chicken broth to the blender to help get it a smooth consistency. Set aside.
- When chicken is browned, remove it to a plate and add in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened slightly. Stir in the cottage cheese mixture and whisk until fully combined. If you find the sauce to be too thick, add in the rest of the chicken broth or a splash more if you need it. The sauce will loosen as it heats up. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and place the chicken breasts back into the pan. Cover and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 10-12 minutes, stir in the spinach and parmesan cheese and replace the lid, cook until the chicken reaches 165℉ on an instant read thermometer, and the spinach has wilted down, about 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped basil, grated parmesan cheese and chopped sun dried tomatoes. Serve with pasta or crusty bread and a salad.
Notes
- I used a drier, small curd cottage cheese for this recipe. If your cottage cheese is more soupy, you may wish to strain it before blending to avoid a sauce that is too liquidy. A 2% or 4% fat cottage cheese would work best for this recipe. I recommend avoiding fat free versions, as you want a little bit of fat to give the sauce that creamy mouthfeel of using a heavy cream in the traditional recipe, and the lower the fat, the more chance your dish will curdle instead of being smooth.
- I used the sun dried tomatoes that are jarred in oil for this recipe. I find that the dried tomatoes in the bags tend to be very fibrous and tough and don’t break down in the sauce as well. If this is your only choice, I would consider soaking them in some boiling hot water first to soften them.
- Depending on the amount of moisture in your cottage cheese, you may wish to add more or less chicken broth to the sauce. This is why I like to start with only adding a ½ cup and then seeing if I need more before adding it to the sauce. You may find that you wish to add some more as it cooks to thin it out a bit.
My husband- This is Great!
Thanks for the healthy version.
Gotta love when it’s husband-approved! So happy you enjoyed it! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a rating and review!
Loved it!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reporting back!