Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole (Printable Version)
Creamy chicken, spinach and artichoke casserole topped with melted cheeses and golden breadcrumbs.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
03 - 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
04 - 1 small onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup cream cheese, softened
07 - 1 cup sour cream
08 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry Staples
10 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
→ Seasonings
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
16 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the chopped spinach and cook until wilted if using fresh, or heated through if using frozen. Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, chicken broth, salt, black pepper, and dried Italian herbs. Mix until smooth and well blended.
05 - Fold the shredded chicken, chopped artichoke hearts, spinach mixture, half of the mozzarella, and half of the Parmesan into the cream base. Stir until evenly combined.
06 - Spread the filling evenly into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the top.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the top is golden brown.
08 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It turns leftover chicken into something that tastes like you spent all day on it, and nobody will guess it took fifteen minutes of actual work.
- The creamy interior and golden, crunchy topping hit every texture craving at once, making it impossible to stop at one serving.
02 -
- If your spinach is wet going in, the casserole will weep liquid into the bottom and you will wonder what went wrong, so squeeze frozen spinach in a towel until you think you are done, then squeeze again.
- Do not skip the rest time, because the carryover heat finishes setting the filling and makes it scoopable instead of soupy.
03 -
- Shred your own mozzarella from a block instead of buying bags, since the anti caking powder on pre shredded cheese creates a grainy texture when it melts.
- Let the casserole sit at room temperature for fifteen minutes before baking if you assembled it ahead and refrigerated it, so the center heats through without the top overbrowning.