Spinach and Chicken Bake With Croutons
We love the combination of color, flavor, and texture that this delicious bake has to offer.
There’s something so comforting about a warm and savory casserole. It’s exactly the meal to bring us together at the table and share a meal as a family. We love experimenting with different casserole combinations, and we found a winner with this crouton, spinach and chicken bake. It is also a great weeknight meal; we can grab a rotisserie chicken and jazz it up by adding hearty greens, some canned soup for creaminess, and our favorite addition: croutons.
We had a loaf of french bread left over from an earlier dish and didn’t want it to go to waste. It added heartiness and texture that was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken and spinach, and it soaked up great flavor from the creamy sauce. We make this hearty dish with cream of chicken soup for added flavor, but we add a touch of nutmeg for earthiness and lemon juice to brighten it up, and of course cheese! Melted cheese on anything is bound to be good. Try out our chicken and spinach bake the next time you want a new twist on a classic casserole.
Spinach and Chicken Bake With Croutons
Yield(s): Serves 6
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups crusty bread, cubed (recommended: French and slightly stale)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- 4 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 (10.5) ounce can cream of chicken soup
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease 11x7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add spinach to pan and sauté until wilted.
- Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper. Transfer to a separate bowl.
- To the same pan, add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, milk and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Combine sauce with spinach onions mixture and chicken. Stir to coat.
- Place bread in 11x7-inch baking dish. Transfer chicken mixture to dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or sauce is bubbling and top is browned.
Recipe adapted from Virtually Homemade