Description
Irresistible creamy spinach chicken bake combines tender chicken with a rich, cheesy spinach sauce for a comforting family meal. Simple ingredients and easy preparation make this dish a weeknight winner you’ll want to add to your regular rotation.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) boneless skinless chicken fillets
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
- 1 lb (454 g) fresh spinach
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 4 tbsps (57 g) salted butter
- ½ medium sweet onion, diced
- ⅓ cup (42 g) all purpose flour
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a rectangular baking dish to prevent sticking, ensuring a seamless cooking experience.
- Chicken Preparation: Season chicken fillets with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with flour for a delicate, crisp exterior.
- Searing Stage: In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sear chicken until achieving a golden-brown crust, about 3-4 minutes per side. Temporarily shelter cooked chicken under foil.
- Flavor Building: Using the same skillet, caramelize onions until translucent, then introduce minced garlic and sauté briefly to release aromatic nuances without scorching.
- Sauce Development: Deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping flavor-rich remnants from the skillet’s surface. Reduce liquid by half, then incorporate cream, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens and develops a luxurious consistency.
- Spinach Integration: Fold fresh spinach into the creamy mixture, allowing leaves to wilt and merge seamlessly with the sauce. Reintroduce chicken, letting it bathe in the velvety liquid and absorb complementary flavors.
- Baking Process: Transfer chicken and spinach cream sauce to the prepared baking dish, distributing evenly. Blanket the surface with mozzarella cheese for a decadent, melty finish.
- Finishing Touch: Position dish under the broiler, vigilantly monitoring to achieve a golden, bubbling cheese crust. Remove from oven and delicately sprinkle with a hint of nutmeg and fresh parsley for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Sear for Golden Crust: Take time to develop a rich, golden exterior on chicken for enhanced flavor and texture, ensuring each side gets 3-4 minutes of direct skillet contact.
- Prevent Garlic Burning: Sauté garlic quickly and carefully to release aromatics without scorching, which can create bitter undertones in the sauce.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Watch broiler closely to achieve perfect golden-brown cheese topping without burning, keeping oven rack at middle-high position for even melting.
- Deglazing Flavor Boost: Scrape skillet thoroughly when adding broth to capture all caramelized bits, maximizing depth of sauce and ensuring no delicious flavor fragments are left behind.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 466
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 792 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 19 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 144 mg