Spinach Artichoke Chicken with Cottage Cheese (Printable Version)

Protein-packed chicken with spinach, artichokes, and creamy cottage cheese sauce ready in 45 minutes.

# What You 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)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt and 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. Remove to a plate.
04 - In the same skillet, add onion and cook for 2 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
05 - Add 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, half the mozzarella, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth.
07 - Pour the sauce into the skillet with the spinach-artichoke mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
08 - Nestle the seared chicken breasts into the sauce. Spoon some sauce over each piece. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
09 - Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F) and the sauce is bubbling.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with extra Parmesan or fresh herbs, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get all the comfort of spinach artichoke dip but with enough protein to call it dinner
  • The cottage cheese creates the silkiest sauce without any heavy cream
  • Everything happens in one pan, meaning less cleanup and more time to eat
02 -
  • Dry your chicken thoroughly with paper towels or it will steam instead of sear
  • Blend the cottage cheese sauce until completely smooth, or you will have a lumpy texture
  • Use an oven-safe skillet or you will have to transfer everything to a baking dish
03 -
  • If your chicken breasts are very thick, pound them to even thickness so they cook through in the same amount of time
  • Let the chicken come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before cooking for more even cooking

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