Of course! This Creamy Spinach Chicken with Bacon and Melted Cheese is a restaurant-quality, one-pan meal that’s packed with flavor. It’s rich, satisfying, and sure to become a weeknight favorite.
Creamy Spinach Chicken with Bacon and Melted Cheese
This recipe features juicy pan-seared chicken smothered in a garlicky, creamy spinach sauce, topped with crispy bacon and bubbly melted cheese.
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
· 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 1 teaspoon garlic powder
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 6 slices bacon, chopped
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 cup heavy cream
· ½ cup chicken broth
· ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
· 5 oz (about 5 cups) fresh spinach
· 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
· ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
· Optional: ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Prep the Chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry and slice them in half horizontally to create two thinner cutlets (or pound them to an even ½-inch thickness). Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Cook the Bacon: In a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet.
- Cook the Chicken: Add the olive oil to the bacon fat in the skillet. Over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Make the Creamy Spinach Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
· Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits.
· Add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce begins to thicken slightly.
· Gradually add the fresh spinach, stirring until it wilts and incorporates into the sauce (this will take 2-3 minutes). - Assemble and Melt Cheese: Preheat your oven’s broiler on high.
· Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, nestling it into the creamy spinach sauce.
· Sprinkle the cooked bacon evenly over the chicken.
· Top with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese. - Broil: Transfer the oven-safe skillet to the oven and broil for 2-4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and spotty brown.
- Serve: Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (the handle will be hot!). Let it rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. Spoon extra sauce from the pan over the top.
Pro Tips for the Perfect Dish
· Even Cooking: Creating thin, even chicken cutlets is the most important step to prevent dry, overcooked chicken while ensuring the inside is done.
· Deglaze the Pan: Don’t skip scraping the browned bits from the chicken and bacon when you add the broth. This is pure flavor for your sauce!
· Wilt the Spinach: Adding the spinach in batches helps it wilt evenly without cooling down the sauce too much.
· No Oven-Safe Skillet? No problem! After assembling in the regular skillet, simply cover it with a lid for 3-5 minutes on the stovetop over low heat to melt the cheese. It won’t be as bubbly and golden, but it will still be delicious.
· Customize It:
· Lighter Version: Substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream and use a lighter cheese blend.
· Add Mushrooms: Sauté 8 oz of sliced mushrooms with the garlic.
· Sun-Dried Tomato: Add ¼ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a sweet, tangy kick.
· Serving Suggestions: This is fantastic served over pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, or with a side of crusty bread to soak up the incredible sauce.
Enjoy this decadent, comforting, and incredibly flavorful chicken dish