Go green with this Spinach Chicken Skillet dish
This recipe promotes saucy creamed spinach from the popular side dish at occasional steakhouse dinners to the center of the plate, turning it into a healthful and quick one-pan meal.
Simply seasoned chicken breast, which is cooked in the skillet first, provides the satisfying protein for the dish, while its browned bits in the pan add an extra layer of flavor to the spinach. Once the cooked chicken is transferred to a plate, onion and garlic hit the skillet to soften in a little olive oil. Then comes the saucy part, with flour-thickened low-fat milk that’s simmered to a decadent, velvety creaminess — no cream needed.
Ever so convenient, frozen spinach is stirred into that luscious base. (Be sure to defrost the spinach first and squeeze as much water as possible out of it; you can use that water in soups or smoothies.) Then, the creamed spinach is made cheesy and rich with a heap of parmesan cheese, and fragrant with a handful of fresh basil ribbons.
As the star of the dish, the spinach is served spooned onto the center of the plate, topped with a piece of chicken, garnished with basil leaves and, if you’d like, an extra sprinkle of parmesan, for a fresh, nourishing way to get your green on.
Basil Cream-Spinach Chicken Skillet
4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), pounded to ½-inch thick
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided use
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided use 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ¾ cups cold low-fat milk 1 cup diced yellow onion
(about 1 medium onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
2 (10-ounce) packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry ¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons, plus whole leaves for garnish
¼ cup (about 1 ounce) grated parmesan cheese ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm. (If you need to work in batches, cook 2 pieces of chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil each time.)
While the chicken cooks, in a medium bowl or pitcher, whisk the flour into the milk until completely dissolved.
In the same skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the spinach and basil and cook, stirring, until warmed through and combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Re-whisk the flourmilk mixture and add it to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and saucy, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, nutmeg and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and add any accumulated juices from the plate of cooked chicken to the pan.
To serve, spoon about ¾ cup of the creamed spinach onto each serving plate, top each with a piece of chicken and garnish with basil leaves. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 440 calories, 44 g protein, 20 g fat, 22 g carbohydrate (3 g sugar), 109 mg cholesterol, 601 mg sodium and 5 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 1.5. From cookbook author and registered nutritionist Ellie Krieger