Spinach and Artichoke Chicken (Print version)

Creamy, cheesy chicken bake with spinach and artichoke flavors. Ready in 45 minutes.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Spinach & Artichoke Mixture

05 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or 1 cup frozen, thawed, and squeezed dry)
06 - 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
07 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
08 - ½ cup sour cream
09 - ½ cup mayonnaise
10 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - ½ teaspoon onion powder
14 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Topping

15 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Arrange them in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a large bowl, combine spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, mozzarella, Parmesan, onion powder, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix until smooth and well combined.
04 - Evenly spread the spinach-artichoke mixture over the chicken breasts.
05 - Sprinkle the topping mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the casserole.
06 - Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F) and the top is golden and bubbly.
07 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a side salad or steamed vegetables if desired.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The creamy spinach artichoke topping keeps the chicken incredibly moist even after baking
  • It comes together in about 15 minutes of active prep and tastes like you spent all day cooking
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, maybe even better than fresh
02 -
  • If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, pound them to an even thickness so they finish cooking at the same time as the topping
  • The baking dish will be full—place it on a rimmed baking sheet before putting it in the oven to catch any bubbly overflow
03 -
  • Grate your own Parmesan from a wedge instead of using pre-grated—the texture and flavor difference is remarkable
  • Let the cream cheese sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes to avoid any lumps in your topping mixture