FAMILY BAKES · COTTAGE CHEESE
Everything you like about spinach artichoke dip, turned into a chicken dinner. Bite-size chicken bakes under a creamy layer of blended cottage cheese and light cream cheese, packed with spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic, then finished with melted mozzarella.
Jump to Recipe
- Serves
- 6
- Baking dish
- 9×13 inches
- Bake
- 25–30 minutes
- Oven
- 400°F / 200°C
- Chicken done at
- 165°F / 74°C
Why You’ll Love This Casserole
- Dip flavor, dinner plate. The classic party dip becomes a full main course.
- Lighter creamy sauce. Cottage cheese and Neufchâtel replace mayonnaise and full-fat cream cheese.
- A vegetable in every bite. Spinach and artichokes are folded right into the sauce.
Ingredient Notes
Squeeze the spinach dry after wilting. This matters more than anything else here: extra water from spinach makes the sauce thin. Frozen spinach works too; thaw it and squeeze it just as hard.
Buy artichoke hearts canned or jarred in water or brine, not marinated in oil. Drain them, then chop them into small pieces so they spread through the sauce.
Neufchâtel (light cream cheese) makes the sauce taste like the dip. Soften it first so it blends smoothly with the cottage cheese.
The recipe card below lists every quantity in one place.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
Make the spinach artichoke sauce
Wilt the spinach and squeeze it dry. Blend the cottage cheese, cream cheese, Parmesan and garlic, then fold in the spinach and chopped artichokes.
Assemble and bake
Spread the seasoned chicken in the dish and spoon the sauce over it. Cover with mozzarella and bake uncovered until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Photos in this article are AI-generated illustrations of the recipe, created for AllRecipeEasy.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Squeeze, then squeeze again. Press the cooled spinach in a clean towel or a fine sieve until no more water drips out.
- Watch the salt. Artichokes in brine, Parmesan and cream cheese are all salty. Taste the sauce before adding the full amount of salt.
- Golden top. For a browner top, switch to the broiler for the last 1–2 minutes and watch closely.
Substitutions
- Frozen spinach: Use 10 ounces, thawed and squeezed dry, instead of fresh.
- Cooked chicken: Use 3½ cups of cooked, chopped chicken and bake just until bubbling and hot in the center (about 20 minutes).
- Cream cheese: Regular cream cheese works in place of Neufchâtel; the bake will be richer.
Serving Suggestions
Serve over rice or pasta, with crusty bread, or with roasted broccoli for a lower-carb plate. For another make-ahead family bake, try the caprese chicken cottage cheese bake or the chicken taco cottage cheese bake.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate the leftovers, covered, within 2 hours. They keep for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave, or covered in a 350°F oven, until hot in the center (165°F). The sauce can loosen slightly on reheating; stir it back into the chicken.
Food safety: Cook the chicken to 165°F / 74°C. Keep raw chicken and its cutting board separate from the vegetables.
Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Warm 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until wilted. Cool slightly, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible and chop.
- Toss the chicken with the remaining oil, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Spread it in the dish.
- Blend the cottage cheese, Neufchâtel, Parmesan, minced garlic, red pepper flakes (if using) and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth. Stir in the spinach and artichokes.
- Spread the sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the mozzarella.
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until bubbling and the thickest piece of chicken reads 165°F / 74°C. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.