Spinach Artichoke Chicken

This flavorful topping jazzes up chicken. Easy enough for a weeknight meal, but delicious enough company. I like that the topping can be made alone into a dip and enjoyed with chips or veggies.

Made 9 servings

2 pounds of chicken breast, room temperature
1 package of spinach, wilted, drained, and finely chopped
1 package of bacon, baked at 400 F, chopped
1 can of artichokes, chopped
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
6 Tbsp pecorino cheese, 4 Tbsp for the dip, 2 Tbsp to sprinkle over top of chicken
3 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp mayonaise
1 Tsp each onion and garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Lay bacon slices in a baking dish and place in oven while it preheats to 400 F. Meanwhile, wilt the spinach over medium low heat. Add 2 Tbsp of water to pot, and cover with a tightly fitted lid. Once the spinach is wilted, squeeze out excess water, and then roughly chop. Drain the artichoke hearts and chop thoroughly. To a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and onion powder, cheese (both), salt and pepper. Add the artichokes and spinach and mix together thoroughly. Once the bacon is crispy, about 20 minutes, take the bacon from the baking sheet and roughly chop. Fold into the mixture. Set aside.

The chicken is going to be cooked in the same pan as the bacon. The grease from the bacon needs to be drained into a cup. Save this, seriously. It's cooking gold. Leave about a tablespoon in the pan. I use my palm as a guide for how big to cut my chicken breasts. Depending on the size, you may need to slice open (think butterfly style cut) the chicken depending on the thickness. I like to end up with 3-4 ounce portions. I like to use Dan-O's original seasoning, but if you don't have that you can season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.

Next thing to do is to assemble the dish. I like to take large spoonfuls of the mixture and dollop onto the uncooked chicken. I usually have left over spinach mixture and bake this and eat it with some chips. Yum! I then spread the mixture until it covers the top of the chicken. It doesn't spread too much during cooking. I then sprinkle with the rest of the pecorino and place into the oven for 20 minutes at 400 F. Everyone's oven is different, but I've tried this recipe several times and it seems to be the right time for me. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temp of 165 or cooked until the juices run clear. This would need to be extended if you cooked bone-in chicken.

I like to serve this over rice with some garlicky steamed green beans. I also like this with roasted potatoes and cherry tomatoes. I like the variety of texture and color that both of these provide to the dish. This is usually my go to choice for a casual dinner with friends. 

What's your favorite chicken dish? What do you usually serve if you have friends over for dinner?