Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Chicken is a must make for dinner! This easy artichoke chicken is the best dinner that's secretly healthy!
Servings: 6 1.5 cup servings
Calories: 360kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 large breast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 oz Neufchâtel cheese
- ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt I used full fat, but any % will work
- ½ cup small curd cottage cheese I used 2%
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 14 ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water, not oil - drained well (about 1 ½ cups chopped)
- 2 cups fresh spinach lightly packed (or about 8 ounces of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove moisture)
Topping
- ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Begin by slicing the chicken. Cut each breast lengthwise once and then thinly slice against the grain into about ¼ inch slices and set aside.
- Heat a skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken into the pan and cook until opaque (6-8 minutes) turning the meat as needed.
- Once the chicken is cooked, drain the excess liquid from the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the softened Neufchâtel cheese, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ½ cup mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried basil, and ½ tsp onion powder. Mix using a rubber spatula until everything is well incorporated.
- Chop the drained artichoke hearts and spinach into small pieces and mix into the bowl with the cheese.
- Add the cooked chicken to the mixing bowl and stir until it is well coated with the cheese mixture.
- Transfer the chicken/cheese mixture to the baking dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Top with 1/3 cup of mozzarella and 2 tbsp of parmesan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted. If you want the cheese on top to be bubbly, you can broil for 4-5 minutes towards the end of the cook time.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Tips for this recipe:
Cook the chicken to an internal temp of 165°F. Using an instant-read cooking thermometer is the best way to ensure that the meal is safe to eat. To be sure that there isn't any pink inside, turn the breasts over often as the casserole is baking. But, avoid overcooking.
Drain the artichoke hearts before using them. This will result in a super creamy dish that isn't watery.
If you don’t have an 8x8 baking dish, another size baking dish or oven-safe pan can be used. Look for something that can hold a similar volume. A medium-size cast iron skillet is another great option, and you will have less dishes to wash later.
Be careful adding salt. This recipe is naturally high in sodium due to all the cheese and dairy products. Look for lower salt cheese, and avoid salting the chicken if you need a low sodium recipe!
Storage: This stores in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups casserole | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 779mg | Potassium: 607mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1443IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 248mg | Iron: 1mg
