Description
This Smothered Baked Chicken with Creamed Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a comforting and flavorful one-pan meal featuring tender chicken breasts baked in a creamy sauce of spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. The golden seared chicken is smothered with a rich, garlicky creamed spinach that is perfectly seasoned with herbs, making it an easy yet elegant dinner option ready in just 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Creamed Sauce
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the chicken later.
- Season Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper.
- Sear Chicken: In a large oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic: Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the same skillet. Melt the butter, then add minced garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
- Simmer Sauce: Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to combine flavors.
- Add Spinach & Herbs: Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Then stir in dried basil, dried thyme, and grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Place the seared chicken breasts back into the skillet, spooning the creamed spinach sauce evenly over each piece.
- Bake: Transfer the oven-safe skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve the chicken smothered with the creamy spinach and sun-dried tomato sauce immediately.
Notes
- This recipe uses an oven-safe skillet for seamless stove-to-oven cooking. If you don’t have one, transfer to a baking dish after searing.
- Fresh spinach works best here, but baby spinach can also be substituted.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or coconut milk.
- Ensure chicken is cooked through by using a meat thermometer to reach 165°F (74°C) internal temperature.
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil will add more flavor; if using dry, rehydrate in warm water before chopping.
