Low Carb Chicken Spinach Mushroom Bake (Printable)
Creamy low-carb casserole featuring tender chicken, mushrooms, and spinach in a cheesy sauce. Ready in under an hour.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 pounds)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Vegetables
05 - 7 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
06 - 9 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
→ Sauce
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
11 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
13 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Optional Garnish
15 - Fresh parsley, chopped
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
02 - Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add onion and mushrooms. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened and mushrooms have released their moisture.
04 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Mix in Parmesan, half of the mozzarella, Italian herbs, and nutmeg. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
06 - Spread the spinach-mushroom mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Nestle the seared chicken breasts on top. Spoon a little sauce over each chicken piece.
07 - Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top.
08 - Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F) and cheese is bubbly and golden.
09 - Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce comes together faster than you can preheat the oven and tastes like something from an Italian restaurant
- Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, maybe even better than night one
02 -
- Dont skip the searing step or youll miss out on all that fond at the bottom of the pan
- The nutmeg seems tiny but it completely changes the depth of the cream sauce
03 -
- If the sauce seems too thick after adding cream cheese splash in a tablespoon of pasta water or chicken broth
- Pat the mushrooms dry before cooking or theyll steam instead of brown