Marry Me Chicken Meal Prep
Seared chicken and pasta tossed through a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce blended from cottage cheese, with wilted spinach folded through at the end. A high-protein take on the viral favourite, without losing the flavour that made it famous.
Blending the cottage cheese sauce until it’s completely smooth matters more than it seems — any graininess at this stage is permanent once it’s mixed through the pasta. Turning the heat down before the sauce goes in is just as important, since cottage cheese-based sauces can split or turn grainy if pushed too hot.
It portions straight into five containers and keeps well through the week — a splash of milk when reheating brings the sauce right back to creamy.
Marry Me Chicken Meal Prep
CHICKEN · PASTA · EASY
All the flavour, a lot more protein
Blending cottage cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan builds a sauce that tastes every bit as rich as the original cream-based version, just with a serious protein boost folded in.
Cooking the chicken in batches rather than crowding the pan is what actually gets it seared instead of steamed — a small habit that makes a real difference to the final texture.
Turning the heat down before the sauce goes in protects it from splitting, so you end up with something genuinely silky rather than grainy or broken.
High Protein Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 500 g Pasta of Choice
- 15 ml Sun-Dried Tomato Oil
- 800 g Chicken Breast, Boneless & Skinless Diced
- 6 g Dried Italian Herbs
- 400 g High Protein Cottage Cheese
- 180 ml Chicken Stock
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano Grated
- 100 g Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- 200 g Baby Spinach Washed
- Parmigiano Reggiano To Taste
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Method
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, season generously with salt, and cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Add the chicken to a bowl and mix with the dried Italian herbs, salt, and pepper.
- In a blender, add the cottage cheese, chicken stock, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Blend on high for 2–3 minutes, until smooth and no longer grainy.
- Place a large, high-rimmed pan or pot over high heat. Add the sun-dried tomato oil and seasoned chicken, and cook for 3–4 minutes, mixing occasionally. Work in batches if your pan isn't large enough.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the drained pasta to the chicken, then pour over the cottage cheese sauce. Mix well and cook for 1–2 minutes, until fully combined. Add the spinach and cook for a further minute, until wilted. Remove from the heat.
- Portion into 5 meal prep containers. Garnish with fresh basil, extra parmigiano reggiano, and cracked black pepper.
What is Marry Me Chicken?⌄
It's a viral chicken dish built on a creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce, supposedly good enough to inspire a proposal. This version swaps the usual heavy cream for blended cottage cheese, keeping the flavour but adding a lot more protein.
Why does the sauce need to go in over lower heat?⌄
Cottage cheese-based sauces are prone to splitting or turning grainy over high heat. Dropping to medium-low before it goes in keeps it smooth and creamy right through to serving.
Can I use chicken thigh instead of breast?⌄
Yes, thigh works well here and tends to stay a bit juicier. Dice it to a similar size to the breast so it cooks through evenly in the same time.
Can I freeze this?⌄
Yes, it freezes for up to 3 months. The sauce can look a little thick or separated once thawed since it's dairy-based — a good stir with a splash of milk while reheating brings it back to creamy.
