This baked Tuscan chicken starts with boneless chicken breasts baked with creamy garlic, spinach, sundried tomato and cheese topping. Great comfort food for when you want a creamy and cheesy dinner!
If you are craving creamy and cheesy in a flavourful and comforting meal, look no further than this baked Tuscan chicken. It comes together quickly and easily, too!
What you’ll need
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Boneless Chicken Breasts – You can start with whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts that you cut in half lengthwise. Boneless chicken tenders would also work here. If you only have boneless, skinless chicken thighs, they will work, though the cooking time may change (increase) slightly.
Spinach – Fresh spinach works nicely here, but if you only have frozen, that will work as well. Be sure to squeeze the frozen spinach well to avoid introducing too much liquid to the dish.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – Sun-dried tomatoes are a nice balance for the creamy topping and combine well with the spinach. I recommend using them if you can. Opt for sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil if you can, as you can use the oil from the jar in this recipe as well. Re-hydrated, dried sun-dried tomatoes will also work here.
Cream Cheese – You can use full-fat or lower-fat cream cheese. Three ounces is a bit less than half of a standard block. I’ve use a half block before when I’ve had it needing to be used up. It’s a bit richer with the extra cream cheese.
Cream – I find 10% b.f. Half and Half cream is just fine here, but if you prefer or only have heavy cream (35% b.f.) on hand, that’s fine as well.
Step-by-step photos
- Cut the whole chicken breasts in half lengthwise and place into a baking dish that just holds them nicely. Season the chicken well.
- Add the spinach to a skillet with a little garlic and oil and cook a couple of minutes until wilted down.
- Remove the spinach to a cutting board to cool slightly, then chop the spinach and add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- Add the cream cheese, cream, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese to a medium bowl. Stir together until combined well.
- Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.
- Spoon the spinach mixture over the chicken and spread to cover the chicken completely.
- Scatter some fresh or dried basil over the top of the spinach mixture.
- Sprinkle some more mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with foil. Bake for 15 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes. Switch the oven to broil to brown up the cheese.
Recipe tips!
- Salt as you go! There are a lot of great flavours in this dish but what really brings out all those flavours is proper salting. Salt the chicken. Salt the spinach. Add some salt to the cream cheese mixture.
- As the chicken pieces are thin they don’t need a long oven time, so be sure not to overcook them and end up with dry, chewy chicken. The cheese topping will not be browned from the short oven time, but as long as there is bubbling around the outside, it’s probably done. (You can double-check the chicken with a thermometer. It should register 165F.) Switch the oven to broil and brown up the topping!
- One halved chicken breast with the topping is plenty as a serving for most people, so 2 whole chicken breasts will yield 4 servings. You can double the recipe easily to feed more.
What to serve with baked Tuscan chicken
I find this dish perfect with just a simple salad on the side. If you want a vegetable, go simple and green, such as green beans or asparagus. A tomato salad would also work nicely. This would also be nice with rice or cauliflower rice. Or maybe zoodles.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This Tuscan chicken is best served freshly cooked but does hold pretty well in the refrigerator if you need to make it ahead. Reheat loosely covered with foil in a 350F oven until warmed (about 15 minutes).
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.
Freezing isn’t recommended as the cream cheese topping may become grainy from the freeze/thaw process.
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Get the Recipe: Baked Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise (about 1 lb.)
- Olive oil, or oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Spinach Mixture:
- 4 cups fresh spinach, wilted in a saucepan with 2 cloves of minced garlic and a bit of oil
- olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (regular or light)
- 1/3 cup half and half cream, or heavy cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Topping:
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or about 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded + a bit of Parmesan
- 2-3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F (not convection/fan-assisted).
- Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish (about 8×11-ish – just enough to hold the chicken laid flat.) Place the chicken pieces on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil (or the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes). Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with some red pepper flakes (to taste). Scatter the minced garlic over top. Set aside.
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When warm, add the garlic and the spinach and a sprinkling of salt. Using tongs, toss the spinach in the skillet until it wilts down, then remove to a cutting board to cool slightly. When cooled, chop the spinach (you can chop coarsely or finely, as you like). Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the spinach and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, cream, garlic, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine well. Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and stir in. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Spread the spinach and cream cheese mixture on top of the chicken, covering the chicken completely. Scatter the basil over top of the spinach mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Loosely cover the baking dish with foil.
- Baked at 375F loosely covered with foil for 15 minutes. Remove the foil then bake for 15-20 minutes more uncovered. Switch the oven to broil and broil a couple of minutes to brown the topping. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Tip! As the chicken pieces are thin they don't need a long oven time, so be sure not to overcook them and end up with dry, chewy chicken. The cheese topping will not be browned after 30-35 minutes in the oven, but as long as there is bubbling around the outside the chicken is probably done (you can double-check the chicken with a thermometer. It should register 165F.) Switch the oven to broil and brown up the topping!
Notes
Adapted from an Eating Well recipe
More chicken recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This looks delicious! Could it be assembled the day before and baked the day of? I’d be doubling the recipe – any thoughts on how much longer to bake it? Thank you!
I haven’t tried it myself. I feel like it could, but I’d probably try to keep it within 24 hours between assembly and baking.
It might need an extra 5-8 minutes in the oven if cold from the refrigerator. I’d be tempted to take it out of the fridge for 20 minutes or so before popping in the oven to keep the baking time down.
I made this tonight; superb flavor and the chicken breasts stay nice and moist. For me, the prep took closer to 35 minutes however. I made it as an all in one dish, no sides. My husband went hiking today so there is NONE left over!
This dish will go in my permanent dinner file. I’ll plan for more prep time. It would make a wonderful dish if we have company. I’ll double everything and use a larger dish, maybe a 9 X 13 baking dish. And perhaps make some rice and a salad to serve with it, and a good hearty bread with olive oil and vinegar with herbs dipping sauce.
So glad you enjoyed it, Nanci. Thanks so much!