One-pan Creamy Chicken with Spinach (Without Heavy Cream)
Creamy Chicken with Spinach in a yummy white bechamel sauce is a delicious comfort food. It will certainly meet the expectations of the pickiest eaters. Once you have tried it, add it to your favorite easy chicken dinner recipe collection.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 324kcal
Ingredients
- 1.2 lb chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon oregano ground
- ½ teaspoon thyme ground
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbs olive oil for chicken
- 6 oz baby spinach fresh, 170 gr
- ¼ onion medium, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbs butter 15 gr, for white sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg ground
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over finished dish
Instructions
- Blanching the spinach. Boil water in a pot. Use enough water so that spinach can fit inside.
- Wash the spinach and drain it well.
- Transfer the spinach to the boiling water and boil for about 45 sec - 1 min.
- Remove the pot from heat and drain the water. Wash cooked spinach with some cold running water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
- Cooking chicken breasts. Prepare about 1.2 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts. I cut two thick pieces of chicken breasts in half lengthwise to get four thinner chicken cutlets. This was enough for two adults and two small kids (some extra was left).
- TTransfer the chicken breasts into a glass container with a lid—season with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Close the lid and shake the container to coat evenly. Set aside to rest. This step can be done before starting the spinach prep for blanching.
- I used a cast-iron skillet to cook the chicken breasts and was thrilled. The chicken breasts sat in oil and spices for 15-20 minutes before cooking to ensure an even, nice coating.
- Oil the cast-iron skillet and heat it on low heat. Add as much oil as will work for your cast-iron skillet. I usually start with 1 teaspoon of oil, ensure even coverage, and then wipe away any excess with a paper towel.
- Cook the chicken breasts until golden on both sides. Set aside.
- Preparing white sauce. Chop the onions, and prepare the garlic (you will mince it later).
- Heat butter in a large skillet on medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until fragrant (about 5 min).
- Add flour and mix everything well with a wooden spoon. Hint: if it looks like there is more flour than oil (or butter) and flour is clumping, add a bit more oil (or butter) until the mixture looks creamy.
- Slowly pour prepared milk while constantly mixing with a wooden spoon. This is where you want to avoid clumping the flour by adding milk slowly and mixing.
- Add minced garlic and nutmeg, and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and cook until the sauce becomes bubbly. Remove from heat.
- Cut the spinach you set aside and add it to the white sauce. At this point, you want to mix it all well and not cook more.
- Nest the cooked chicken breasts you set aside in the creamy spinach sauce.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce, stirring until it's well incorporated.
- Add ½ cup of sun-dried tomato to the creamy chicken spinach and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the creamy chicken with spinach and béchamel sauce over rice, pasta, crusty bread, or with your choice of side dish.
Video
Notes
- Refer to the post above for video instructions and other useful information.
- Nutrition information is an estimate and will depend on your specific ingredients.
- Instead of chicken breasts, you can use skinless chicken thighs or even boneless skinless chicken tenders.
- Spinach works beautifully with juicy chicken breasts, but you can experiment with other greens like kale and Swiss chard for a different flavor profile.
- You can use Italian seasoning as an addition to or instead of the abovementioned spices.
- For a varied meal, serve the creamy chicken and spinach over different bases like quinoa, couscous, crusty bread, or your favorite pasta.
- You can replace part of the milk with heavy cream or half-and-half for an ultra-creamy sauce.
- Add some lemon juice or lemon zest to the bechamel sauce for a citrusy flavor.
- Add some red pepper flakes to the chicken spice mix if you prefer spicy meals.
- Marinate the chicken breasts beforehand in herbs, garlic, or a simple seasoning mix to impart extra flavor.
- Taste the sauce as you go along and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding more milk if it becomes too thick, or simmer it a bit longer if it's too runny.
- If you decide to use other greens, be mindful of the cooking time for the greens. Spinach wilts quickly, but heartier greens like kale might need a bit more time to soften.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 1329mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4264IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 3mg
