smothered chicken with mushrooms and spinach...

via Bacon, Butter, Cheese & Garlic

Mmmmmm.  It took a while to make this dish but it was quite good.  I ending up making the creamed spinach first and then the mushrooms and then I started to bake the chicken.  This let me clean up the numerous pans I needed to use before it was time to finish off the chicken by topping it with everything, including Mozzarella cheese, and baking it for another 10 plus minutes so everything could melt together.  I served it with the asparagus on the side and over Angel Hair pasta which was perfect.  Nick loooooved it and said it was like something in a restaurant.  Well worth the effort!

Smothered Chicken With Mushrooms and Spinache via Bacon, butter, Cheese & Garlic

FOR THE CREAMED SPINACH:

(I doubled this!)

1 large bag of spinach leaves

4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 C shredded parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T red onion, minced
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE SAUTEED MUSHROOMS:

(I doubled this!)

8 ounce package of mushrooms, sliced

1/2 stick butter
2 T olive oil
1/2 C white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE CHICKEN:

4-5 boneless chicken breasts

8-10 slices Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 T garlic powder
1 T seasoned salt, like Lawry's

1 teaspoon pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper on both sides of the chicken. Bake for 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the creamed spinach. Over medium-high heat, melt 2 T olive oil in a skillet. Add in the onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add in the spinach and garlic. It will shrink ridiculously. When it's cooked through, stir in the cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Continue cooking and stirring until the cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

For the mushrooms, melt butter and 2 T olive oil in a skillet. Put the mushrooms in and cook until browned all over. Don't season with salt until they are browned or they will never brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add in the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until most of the wine is cooked out.

Flip the chicken pieces over. Divide the spinach and mushrooms over the top of each breast. Lay two slices of cheese over each piece of chicken. Cook another 12-14 minutes or until cheese is browned and chicken is done.

 

EASY ROASTED ASPARAGUS
1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed
Juice of half a lemon
Olive oil
1/2 T garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1/4 C shredded parmesan

Preheat oven to 350. Lay asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and season with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Mix around with your hands and put back in a single layer.
Bake 20 minutes.

When they are tender, sprinkle parmesan cheese over them and cover with foil. Let sit five minutes to melt the cheese.