Spinach Artichoke Chicken Cottage Cheese (Printable)
Tender chicken baked with spinach, artichokes, and creamy cottage cheese sauce for a protein-rich dinner.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1/2 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 - 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
→ Sauce
09 - 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
10 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
14 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously 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 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 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 completely smooth.
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 some sauce over each piece of chicken. 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 reaches 165°F) and the 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 Advice:
01 -
- You get all that creamy spinach artichoke dip flavor without the guilt
- The sauce comes together in seconds and tastes restaurant quality
- Leftovers reheat beautifully for tomorrow lunch
02 -
- Blending the cottage cheese until completely smooth is the non negotiable step that makes this sauce luxurious
- Letting the chicken rest after baking keeps all those juices inside instead of running out on your plate
03 -
- If your sauce seems too thick after blending add more broth one tablespoon at a time until it pours easily
- Use an instant read thermometer to avoid overcooking the chicken which makes it dry and tough