Spinach Artichoke Chicken Cottage Cheese (Printable View)
Tender chicken in a creamy spinach, artichoke, and cottage cheese sauce. Ready in 45 minutes.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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, without cooking through. Transfer 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 to the skillet and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped artichoke hearts and cook for 1 minute more.
06 - Combine cottage cheese, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
07 - Pour the blended sauce into the skillet with the spinach-artichoke mixture. Stir well to combine 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 evenly over the top.
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 Suggestions:
01 -
- cottage cheese creates an incredibly creamy sauce without all the heavy cream calories
- Protein packed comfort food that actually feels indulgent
02 -
- Blend the cottage cheese sauce really well, any lumps will make the texture feel grainy instead of velvety
- Do not skip searing the chicken first, that golden crust adds so much flavor and keeps the meat juicy
03 -
- Pound the chicken to even thickness so it cooks uniformly
- Let the chicken rest before serving so the juices redistribute