Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole (Printable version)
Creamy chicken casserole with fresh spinach and artichokes in cheesy sauce
# What you'll need:
→ Meats
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
06 - 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
07 - 1 cup sour cream
08 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry and Seasonings
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until fully wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and sour cream. Stir until smooth and well blended.
05 - Fold in shredded chicken, chopped artichoke hearts, the spinach and onion mixture, half of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix until evenly incorporated.
06 - Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
07 - Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese topping is golden brown.
08 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the casserole to set.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This is the kind of dish that makes people think you spent all day cooking when you barely broke a sweat.
- Everything bakes in one dish so cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy.
- It reheats beautifully which means lunch the next day is sorted without any effort.
02 -
- If your cream cheese is cold it will clump and no amount of stirring will fix it, so plan ahead and let it soften on the counter.
- Do not skip draining the artichoke hearts really well because excess liquid will make the casserole watery instead of luxuriously creamy.
03 -
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice stirred in at the end brightens the whole dish and makes the flavors pop in a way that surprises people every time.
- Chopped sun dried tomatoes folded into the mixture add a sweet tangy punch that takes this from great to absolutely unforgettable.