Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

I’ve got to brag on myself a little bit here. I had been feeling pretty unmotivated lately when it comes to the gym. I haven’t been in two weeks! I kept making up excuses to make myself forego driving to the gym and instead go home to veg out.

It’s raining.

I got off 4 minutes late.

I’ve got to go to the dentist later this afternoon.

If I was eating how I used to eat, two weeks off from the gym would have been a death knell to my weight loss. I would have gained at least 10 pounds (it’s happened many, many times before). So I drug myself there this morning, weighed myself…and I had lost four pounds!

What is this sorcery?! Could the scale be broken?!

Nope. It was true. Even with minimal-to-zero exercise, I had actually lost weight. I’m going to go ahead and credit that to this wonderful keto diet—where I still get to eat almost all of my favorites. Almost all.

One thing that I’ve caught myself daydreaming about is pasta. Oh, that sweet starchy goodness. I’ve got a ton of pasta-substitutes, and they’re all great…but pasta sneaks into my mind more often than not. My favorite of all favorites when it comes to pasta dishes? Chicken parmesan. I’ve made it a hundred different times in a hundred different ways, and that cheesy marinara chicken never gets old.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought it would be a good keto-friendly sub. You still get all of the cheese & marinara, with an added bonus: cream cheese & asparagus. Sure, you’re missing out on the breading and the noodles, but this works to curb that chicken parm craving. At least for me it did.

I’ll keep eating my cheese-filled foods and continue to lost weight. I still have a long way to go until I get to where I’m satisfied. I may have a stray thought or two about endless carbs, but I’ll keep them just that—thoughts.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Season chicken with salt and peppers on both sides. Spread cream cheese evenly on the inside pocket of the chicken breasts.

Add 4-5 stalks of asparagus and pinch chicken together, using a toothpick if necessary to keep chicken closed. Rub garlic on the outside of chicken.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 6-7 minutes per side, until chicken is browned and almost cooked through.

Pour marinara over the top of chicken and add mozzarella. Preheat broiler. Broil chicken in pan for 4-5 minutes until cheese is browned and melted, and chicken is cooked through.