Spinach & Artichoke Dip Chicken

I did it. I finally made a recipe (a) almost completely from scratch that (b) features one of my favorite foods: spinach and (c) my family really liked it! It's a trifecta of culinary contentment. My husband always gets a little edgy when I tell him I don't actually have a recipe to follow and that I'm just "winging it." Being not the biggest fan of spinach to begin with, he was especially nervous to try last night's concoction. While it may not have made his Top 10 List (c'mon, it does have spinach as the main ingredient after all), he did enjoy it and said we can add it to the dinner rotation. Hooray!

It's really easy, really delicious and not too bad for you, either. (You'll notice all the lower-fat dairy products on the list.) Knowing my hubby's aversion to leafy green stuff, I intentionally used more artichokes than I think one typically might for a spinach-artichoke dish to make it a more 1:1 spinach to artichoke ratio. Keep that in mind if you decide to try this recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low fat cream cheese, softened
4 chicken breasts (I used two huge breasts and filleted them into two each)
1-2 T olive oil
5 oz. fresh spinach (half a bag)
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1/2 can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
[Wondering what to do with the other half of the can of artichokes?
Try this recipe for Ham & Cheese Hash Browns from Cooking Light.]
1/2 cup part-skim Mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

MIX sour cream, Parmesan, cream cheese and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Set aside.

HEAT olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until lightly browned but not cooked through. About 2-3 minutes per side. Place the chicken in a casserole dish.

REDUCE the heat under the skillet to medium and add a splash more olive oil to the pan. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Add spinach with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss with tongs. Once spinach begins to wilt, add the artichokes. Saute together for 2-3 minutes.

REMOVE skillet from heat and stir in cheese mixture. Once it's all combined, top chicken evenly with spinach dip. Top each breast with Mozzarella.

BAKE for 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until cooked through. Broil for up to 5 minutes more to brown the cheese, if needed.

SIDE DISH SUGGESTION: Buttered noodles with Parmesan and parsley.

If you get a chance to try it, please let me know what you think!