Description
Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts offer a comforting and flavorful meal featuring tender, juicy chicken breasts cooked in a luscious creamy sauce infused with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and a touch of spice from red pepper flakes. Finished with fresh spinach and garnished with parsley, this dish is perfect for a cozy family dinner or to impress guests with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup low sodium or no sodium added chicken broth
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Vegetables and Garnish
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the chicken.
- Prepare Sauce Mixture: In a baking dish, combine olive oil, minced garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, and red pepper flakes, mixing well to create the creamy sauce base.
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper to your liking. Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce mixture in the baking dish, ensuring they are partly submerged.
- Bake Chicken: Place the baking dish uncovered in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken begins to brown on top and is mostly cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of about 155°F (68°C).
- Add Spinach: Remove the dish from the oven and scatter the fresh chopped spinach evenly around the chicken breasts. Return the dish to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the spinach is wilted, the sauce is bubbly, and the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
- Optional Broil: For extra browning, broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes at the end, watching closely to avoid burning.
- Rest and Garnish: Let the dish rest for a few minutes out of the oven to allow juices to redistribute. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and additional red pepper flakes if desired before serving.
Notes
- This dish is ideal for a hearty and comforting meal that combines creaminess with a slight kick of spice.
- Use low sodium chicken broth to control the salt level.
- You can substitute fresh spinach with baby kale or swiss chard if preferred.
- To save time, sun-dried tomatoes soaked in oil can add extra flavor and moisture.
- Ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for safe consumption.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 412 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 182 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
