Spinach Artichoke Chicken with Cottage Cheese (Printable)
Protein-packed chicken with spinach, artichokes, and creamy cottage cheese sauce
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Spinach & Artichoke Mixture
05 - 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - ½ cup finely chopped onion
→ Sauce
09 - 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
10 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
13 - ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
14 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts and cook for 1 minute more.
06 - In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
07 - Pour the blended sauce into the skillet with the spinach-artichoke mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly and bring to a gentle simmer.
08 - Nestle the seared chicken breasts into the sauce. Spoon sauce over each piece of chicken. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
09 - Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F and sauce is bubbling.
10 - Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with extra Parmesan or fresh herbs if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- You get all the creamy comfort of spinach artichoke dip but as a proper protein packed meal
- The cottage cheese sauce blends into something silky and rich that nobody suspects is good for you
02 -
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving so the juices redistribute
- The sauce thickens slightly as it cools which is actually perfect
03 -
- Blend the sauce really well until no cottage cheese curds remain
- Do not skip searing the chicken first because that browning adds so much depth