Chicken and Spinach Bake

I can't believe it is the middle of November already. Anyone else feel like this year has flown by?

During this time of year I waste no time and I am all about casseroles and soups. Anything that is warm and will fill our bellies is good in my book. And the more cheese the better, right?

I found this delicious Chicken and Spinach Bake on pinterest (of course, where else do you find so much deliciousness in one place?) But really it comes from Joyously Domestic. At first I was a tiny bit skeptical. It does, after all, have spinach in it. And I think that is a turn off to some people. I don't mind eating spinach dip, or spinach in a salad. But cooked? Nope, not a chance. Until one time I had a chicken and spinach and garlic pizza. It was amazing and ever since have been a bit more open to the idea.



When my husband saw "Chicken and Spinach Bake" on the meal plan several weeks ago, I'll be honest, he wasn't a fan. His actual reaction was, "oh great". Yep. he was THAT excited! But I was actually excited. I thought the pictures looked amazing and I couldn't wait to make it.

I started with cutting up my spinach, cherry tomatoes cut in half, and sautéed chicken.



Next, the sauce.





Then I mixed the cooked pasta in with the chicken, spinach and tomatoes.



Added the sauce



And mixed it all together.





Then I added it all to my casserole dish.



Added some extra cheese



Ingredients:

10 ounces uncooked pasta - I used penne
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces chive and onion cream cheese
1 c plain Greek yogurt (You could do sour cream instead)
1 c whole milk (heavy cream or half-and-half work too)
1/2 c shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, cut into large chunks
Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


2. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray


3. Cook pasta according to directions on package.  Drain and set aside.


4. Meanwhile, heat butter in a skillet on medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook for 3 minutes to slightly soften veggies.  Do not brown.


5. Add cream cheese and stir until melted.  Reduce heat to low then stir in greek yogurt, milk, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.  Stir until everything is well-combined and melted.  Turn off heat.


6. Put the pasta, chicken, spinach and tomatoes into a large bowl.


7. Mix in the sauce and stir until coated.


8. Pour into the casserole dish.


9. Top with the remaining mozzarella.


10. Bake uncovered for about 20 -25 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and beginning to brown.  Top with basil for garnish.

Amazingness, right?



So we ate this delicious dinner, and my husband says, "That was really good. Way better than I thought it would be. We should add that into the dinner rotation." So that is a WIN! You've gotta try it because it is easy, and believe me, you will not be disappointed!