My Mini Spinach And Artichoke Chicken Casseroles combine two of my very favorite things to eat, spinach and artichoke dip, and chicken on a biscuit. Combining the two and making them into individual servings instead of one large casserole is genius! You can eat one now and freeze the rest for later. I’ll explain how it works in the instructions.
I was scrolling through different sites looking for an easy way to combine the two dishes and found a recipe online. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2124759591159365
I wanted to make this dish my own, so I’ve made a couple of small changes from the recipe in the link above. One is browning the chicken first, I think, which makes a big difference in the taste of the final dish. You’re going to have all those little yummy flavor bits left in the skillet, and that adds so much more flavor.
Prep Time: 15 minutes (browning of the cubed chicken pieces)
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yields: 6 servings
Equipment: 1 (12-inch) cast iron skillet, 1/4-sheet pan, chef’s knife, meat-safe cutting board, mesh sieve, 2 medium-size mixing bowls, whisk, rubber spatula, 6 mini disposable loaf pans (substitute mini disposable pie tins), small rolling pin, pastry brush, measuring cups, measuring spoons, 1 (2-cup) liquid measuring cup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds (3 boneless-skinless chicken breasts), cut into bite-size cubes, 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces
2 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped, or substitute a large yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour
2 cups of whole milk
1 tablespoon of poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10-ounce package) of frozen leafy spinach, thawed and drained of any excess water
1 (8-ounce) bar of cream cheese, softened
2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 (16-ounce) can of refrigerated biscuit dough
2 eggs + 1 tablespoon of water, lightly beaten for egg wash
6 pinches of coarse Sea salt
6 pinches of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions For Browning The Chicken:
First, add butter and olive oil to a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the cubed chicken pieces and arrange them into a single layer. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Once the chicken is golden brown on the outside, transfer it to a plate and set it aside.
Instructions For The Filling:
In the same skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Using a rubber spatula, add the diced onion and Kosher salt and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
Reduce the heat to medium, most importantly, change to a whisk, and stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add one cup of milk, stirring continuously until the liquid thickens; repeat with the remaining 1 cup. Add the poultry seasoning, red pepper flakes, and thyme, and whisk to combine. Switch back to the rubber spatula, add the browned cubed chicken, stir to coat all the chicken, and simmer, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the softened cream cheese, and mix it into the saucy chicken mixture until it’s completely melted. Next, add the artichokes, spinach, and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper—taste to adjust seasoning if needed. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the shredded Monterey Jack cheese and parsley, and stir to combine.
Divide the mixture into 6 disposable mini loaf pans (or round mini pie tins if you have those). You could also use a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Using a small rolling pin, roll out the biscuit dough into a rectangular shape and top the individual casseroles with it. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Similarly, cooking the frozen casseroles, pop them into a 400-degree F oven, covered, for 25 minutes. Then, uncover and bake for another 20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is completely heated.
There you have it, my Mini Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Casseroles.
Notes:
1) The first 5 ingredients under the “ingredients list” are only used to brown the chicken.
2) To freeze mini casseroles, let them come to room temperature, wrap them tightly with foil, and date. The shelf life, in the freezer, is up to 2 months.
3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.
Mini Spinach And Artichoke Chicken Casseroles
Equipment
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- 1/4 sheet pan
- 1 chef's knfe
- 1 cutting board meat-safe
- 1 mesh sieve
- 2 mixing bowls medium size
- 1 whisk
- 1 rubber spatula
- 6 mini loaf or round pie pans disposable
- 1 Rolling Pin small size
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 set measuring cups dry measurments
- 1 set measuring spoons
- 1 (2-cup) measuring cup liquid measurements
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds 3 boneless-skinlees chicken breasts Cut into bite-size cubes, 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter For browning chicken
- 1 tbsp olive oil For browning chicken
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt For browning chicken
- 1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper For browning chicken
- 2 tbsps butter Unsalted
- 1/2 large red onion You can use a large yellow onion that has been finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic Minced
- 1/4 cup 4 tbsps flour All-purpose
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch black pepper Freshly ground
- 1 can 14 oz artichoke hearts Drained and chopped
- 1 package 10 oz frozen leafy spinach Thawed and drained of any excess water.
- 1 bar 8 oz cream cheese Softened
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese Freshly grated
- 2 tbsps parsley Italian flat-leaf, finely chopped
- 1 can 16 oz refrigerated biscuit dough
- 2 large eggs + 1 tbsp water egg wash Beat lightly.
- 6 pinches Coarse sea salt Top of dough before baking
- 6 pinches fresh ground black pepper Top of dough before baking
Instructions
- Browning the chicken: First, add butter and olive oil over medium-high heat to a preheated cast-iron skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the cubed chicken pieces and arrange them into a single layer. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Once the chicken is golden brown on the outside, transfer it to a plate and set it aside.In the same skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Using a rubber spatula, add the diced onion and Kosher salt and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.Reduce the heat to medium, most importantly, change to a whisk, and stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add one cup of milk, stirring continuously until the liquid thickens; repeat with the remaining 1 cup. Add the poultry seasoning, red pepper flakes, and thyme, and whisk to combine. Switch back to the rubber spatula, add the browned cubed chicken, stir to coat all the chicken, and simmer, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the softened cream cheese, and mix it into the saucy chicken mixture until it's completely melted. Next, add the artichokes, spinach, and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper—taste to adjust seasoning if needed. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the shredded Monterey Jack cheese and parsley, and stir to combine. Divide the mixture into 6 disposable mini loaf pans (or round mini pie tins if you have those). You could also use a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Using a small rolling pin, roll out the biscuit dough into a rectangular shape and top the individual casseroles with it. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Similarly, cook the frozen casseroles. Pop them into a 400-degree F. oven covered for 25 minutes, uncover, and bake for another 20 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is heated completely.There you have it, my Mini Spinach and Artichoke Chicken Casseroles.
Notes
1) The first 5 ingredients under the "ingredients list" are only used to brown the chicken.
2) To freeze mini casseroles, let them come to room temperature, wrap them tightly with foil, and date. The shelf life, in the freezer, is up to 2 months.
3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/
