SPINACH AND MUSHROOM SMOTHERED CHICKEN

I made a recipe this past weekend which is definitely a keeper.....and it's also a main dish recipe!   If you've followed my blog at all you'll notice I tend to share more dessert recipes than anything else.  Yep, I'm the one in the family with a crazy sweet tooth.

This is a chicken recipe with mushrooms, spinach and cream cheese that is so good, I just had to share.  I made a french loaf and some veggies on the side (oh yeah...a glass of white wine) and savored the flavors.

CREAMED SPINACH

1 large bag of spinach leaves

4 oz. cream cheese (I used the low-fat version)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. red onion

1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper 

SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

8 oz. package of mushrooms

1/2 stick of butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

salt and pepper to taste

CHICKEN 

4-5 boneless chicken breasts

8-10 slices of mozarella cheese 

salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken breasts with salt/pepper.  Bake for 16 minutes. While the chicken is baking, make the creamed spinach.  Over medium-high heat, sautee the onions for 2-3 minutes in the olive oil.  Add the spinach and garlic (the spinach will shrink like crazy). When it's cooked through, stir in the cream cheese and the parmesan cheese.  Continue cooking and stirring until the cream cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.

For the mushrooms, melt butter and olive oil in a skillet.   Brown the mushrooms; de-glaze the pan with the wine.  Add in the seasonings and cook until most of the wine is reduced.  

Flip the chicken pieces over.  Divide the spinach and mushroom over the top of each breast.  Lay two slices of cheese over each piece of chicken.  Cook another 12-14 minutes or until the cheese is browned and the chicken is done.   This recipe called for double the garlic in the creamed spinach; additional in the mushrooms and garlic salt as seasoning on the chicken; I like garlic, but I don't like it to overwhelm the dish so I cut it way back and was happy with how it turned out.

I'll also tell you that when I went to make the dish the first page of the recipe was missing.  So, I didn't realize the chicken was to be baked.  I made the entire dish in the same skillet I sauteed my mushrooms.  Now that I know it's supposed to be baked, I'm looking forward to making it again.  I know that cheese is going to taste even better with it being slightly browned and crispy on the top!

Enjoy!

Adapted from....baconbuttercheesegarlic.blogspot.com