Chicken Spinach Logs/Burgers

1 lbs. ground chicken
1 cup chopped spinach

1 tsp. finely chopped garlic

1 small red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. oil
½ cup shredded cheese

spray oil for frying

In a medium frying pan saute onions and garlic until transparent in oil.  Add spinach and saute until limp.  Allow to cool completely.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Shape into logs/patties.  Heat a non-stick pan over med-high heat until hot.  Add logs/patties.  Use spray oil only if needed.  Cook on all sides until brown.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook an additional 10 minutes or until the center reads 165 degrees.  Serves 4

Comments:  I wasn’t sure I would like this but decided to give it a try.  The original recipe didn’t use the cheese but I thought it would make everything stick together better so I added just a light amount of cheese.  The original also had the logs resting on a pressed out, grilled biscuit.  I passed on that.  I made these the 1^st time as logs and after tasting them I decided they would be delicious as burgers so I made them a 2^nd time as burgers, adding my favorite condiments and they were delicious!  This is now my go-to healthy burger.  My 3 food testers also loved it both as a log as well as on a bun.  One of my testers stopped me and said he wanted the recipe.  He wants to start making them for himself.

Chicken & Spinach Alfredo

8 oz uncooked spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. chicken tenders (not breaded), cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 ½ cup chopped spinach

1 jars (16 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese, optional
¼ cup Panko

Steps

1 Heat oven to 350°F.

2 Cook pasta as directed on box; drain.

3 Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add spinach, saute 2-3 minutes.  Add Alfredo sauce; carefully stir until well blended.

4 Spoon spaghetti evenly into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick; sprinkle mozzarella cheese over spaghetti.  Evenly spoon Alfredo mix over the cheese. 

5 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and thoroughly heated.
6 Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Panko.  Put back in the oven and turn the oven off, allowing the cheese to melt.

Serves 6-8

Comment:  This recipe originally used broccoli, which I can’t eat, so I substituted it with spinach.  I used frozen ‘bag’ spinach which is easier to work with.  The original had everything mixed together and then placed in a baking dish.  I made the separation which made ‘cutting’ a serving so much easier.  I also added the parmesan and panko.  So delicious!  So easy!

Chicken Spinach Artichoke for One

1 chicken breast, baked
1/4 cup Spinach Artichoke Dip
1/2 cup boiling bag rice, cooked

Preheat oven to 400.  In an ovenproof dish sprayed with non-stick spray, place the rice, top with all but a tablespoon of the Spinach Artichoke Dip on the rice, top with the chicken, top that with the tablespoon of Spinach Artichoke Dip.  Place in the oven 5 minutes or until the dip is hot and lightly melting.

Comment:  This is so easy and so good.  You can actually use deli baked or fried chicken or bake your own.  The dip I buy is in the produce section.  It's creamy and full of chunks of artichoke and lots of spinach.  This is such a simple dish as well as delicious.

Chicken-Spinach-Artichoke Casserole

1 pkg. cream spinach (Green Giant)
1 can artichokes (drained and not seasoned)
1 cup cooked chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
1 boiling bag of rice (boiled)
1/2 cup cheese (shredded)
French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook spinach according to package (microwave).  When done, place in a large bowl.  Chop the drained artichokes and add to the spinach.  Add the chicken and cheese.  Spray a baking dish or pie pan with non-stick spray.  Evenly spread the rice on the bottom of the pan.  Top with the spinach/cheese mixture spreading it over the rice.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with French fried onions.  Bake another 5 minutes.

Comments:  This is delicious and healthy!  Since spinach is the only green I'm allowed to eat (due to a health problem) I try to find creative, healthy and tasty ways to change it up.  Rotisserie chicken works great and cuts prep time too.  If you want, you can add another sprinkle of cheese before adding the onions. This helps them 'stick' to the dish.  I made this in a glass pie pan so it wouldn't be too thick nor too thin.  It worked perfectly.

Chicken and Spinach Calzone

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 pkg (6 oz.) frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 pie shell

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper or foil on a baking dish.  Spray with cooking spray.  Lay out the pie shell.  Spread the cream cheese over the crust up to about 1” from the edge.  In a pan saute spinach and garlic until the spinach is wilted, draining completely.  In a large bowl combine spinach, chicken and mozzarella cheese.  Place on half of the pie shell.  Fold over and seal the edges with the tongs of a fork.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and cheese inside has melted.  Sprinkle with more cheese if desired. 

Comments:  I know that the last few recipes have been chicken and spinach but there is a reason.  I have a medical problem that forbids me from eating any greens except spinach.  So, I'm working on different variations using the spinach.  I promise to try making something with pork and even beef in the near future.

Anyway, this dish was so easy to make and boy was it delicious!  I actually had some of the mixture left over that I'll be putting in crescent rolls.  I have no doubt that version will be delicious too.  Give this one a try.  You'll love it.

Chicken Crescent Roll

2 cans crescent rolls

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ bag (1 lb. pkg) frozen chopped spinach leaves

1 can or jar spaghetti sauce (your choice of taste)

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked & shredded

1/2 cup Italian Blend shredded cheese

1/4 cup grated part mozzarella cheese (can use Italian Blend)
Italian seasoning blend

Press the crescent rolls on separate sheets of parchment paper or foil sprayed with oil making sure to seal the seams.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning blend.  I like using Garlic Tuscan by Kingsford.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the rolls on 2 separate baking dishes.  

Add oil and garlic to a large skillet and cook over low-medium heat, until garlic is slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Be sure to stir it and watch it so that it does not burn.  Add spinach to the skillet and cook over medium-high. Use tongs to toss it. Cook until just wilted, about a minute and a half (you don't want to overcook it or have a lot of liquid released). Add the shredded chicken and spaghetti sauce mixing everything together until everything is coated with the sauce.  

Put half the mixture down the center of both of the crescent dough leaving about 2.5 inches on each side.  Sprinkle the top of the mixture with cheese.  

Bring the sides over the mixture and seal.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  

Sprinkle the center with a little more cheese and return to oven to melt (about 1 minute).  

Comment:  This dish was originally using puff pastry which if you’ve priced it lately, you’ll agree it can be quite expensive.  I used the crescent rolls (store brand) mainly because that is what I had in my refrigerator.  I’m glad I did.  The crescent roll dough ‘melts in your mouth’ with every bite.  Of course, I changed several ingredients, adding here and there, as well as eliminating a couple of the original ingredients until I came up with this dish.  All 3 of my food testers that had the pleasure of trying this dish loved it. So did I!  When working this up I had no idea it would make enough for 2 dishes and only had 1 roll of crescents, so the remaining half was frozen for another day which I feel will be used very soon. This is a must try dish.

Chicken & Spinach Casserole

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small chunks
1 pkg (16 oz) cut leaf spinach
½ red onion sliced & chunked chopped onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 8-ounce package cottage cheese
1 cup Cheddar & Pepper Jack shredded cheese
About 1 dozen large garlic croutons, crushed
Cheese for top

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large frying pan heat the oil.  Add chicken and onions.  Cook until chicken is lightly brown and onions are softened.  Add spinach and cook until wilted (5-8 minutes).  Add cottage cheese and cheese.  Pour into 2 qt. casserole dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.  Sprinkle with crushed croutons and sprinkle with enough cheese to very lightly cover croutons.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.  Serves 4-6.

Comments:  I found a basic recipe for spinach dip using cottage and feta cheese.  To it I added the chicken and red onions.  Eliminated the feta and lemon juice and added the cheddar & pepper jack blend which has just a small amount of jalapeno peppers.  I also added the croutons and enough cheese for the top to barely hold the croutons in place.  The 2 food testers that had the pleasure of enjoying this wanted more.  It is delicious!

Chicken Spinach Bake

2 to 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise and then into 4 pieces each to form thinner cutlets

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1-2 tsp. Garlic & Herb Seasoning or Italian seasonings (your choice of seasonings)

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 bag (1 lb.) cut spinach leaves, frozen

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese or Italian Blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Sprinkle chicken pieces with seasoning.  Heat oil in non-stick frying pan.  Saute chicken on both sides.  Layer chicken evenly in baking dish.  Add cream cheese over all the tops of chicken.  

In the pan used for the chicken, add the spinach.  Cook until thawed and you aren't seeing any water in the pan.  Place evenly over the cream cheese.  

Top with cheese.  

Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.  Serves 6

Comment:  The 2 food testers that I took this dish to loved it.  One took a bite when I 1st took it to her while it was still hot and couldn't quit eating.  The other ate her dish for dinner and loved it too.  I was worried about it being dry but I assume there was still some water in the spinach that didn't cook out and maybe the cream cheese added some too.  It wasn't dry at all.  Just delicious.

Chicken & Spinach Alfredo

8 oz. egg noodles 2 cups Alfredo Sauce 1 cup Ricotta Cheese 1 pkg (10 oz.) spinach, chopped, thawed and drained 1 egg ½ cup Parmesan Cheese 2 cups Italian Cheese Blend 1 tsp. garlic powder ¼ tsp. pepper ½ tsp. salt 2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Cook egg noodles according to package directions and set aside. In a medium bowl combine egg and ricotta cheese. Whisk in the parmesan and half the Italian cheese. Add the seasonings.  In a large bowl mix the chicken, noodles and spinach.  Fold in cheese mix and Alfredo sauce.  Pour into a large baking dish and bake for 15-20  minutes or until hot in the center.  Sprinkle with remaining Italian cheese and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.  Serves 8-10

Comment:  I made this and froze half for another day.  The flavor is delicious and the only thing I might change would be to add a few mushrooms. 

Simple Chicken with Spinach, Artichoke and Rice

1/2 cup Wild Rice Blend
2 (6 oz. each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. TGI Fridays Spinach & Artichoke Cheese Dip
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make cuts in chicken that go the full width but not completely through allowing the chicken to 'butterfly'.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken until juice runs clear.  While chicken is cooking cook rice according to package directions.  When chicken is done top with Spinach & Artichoke Dip.  Cook 10 minutes or until heated and bubbly.  Serve over rice.

Martha:  This is one of the easiest dishes you'll find that is busting with flavor.  The spinach and artichokes give this dish a full flavor that can't be beat.  The cooking time depends on the thickness of your chicken but mine cooked in about 15 minutes.  The cuts speed up the process too.  This is perfect for a quick, after work dish that looks like you spent all evening making.

Chicken Spinach Casserole

8 ounces pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 portabella tops, sliced

1 med onion, sliced

1 cup orange and/or yellow bell peppers, sliced

10 ounces leafy frozen spinach, thawed

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper

16 ounces cottage cheese

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping

¹⁄₂ cup milk

1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside.  Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook mushrooms, onion and bell pepper until tender.  Cut spinach into 1/4's and add to pan along with oregano, and pepper.  Mix well.  Remove from heat.  In a large bowl combine pasta, chicken, spinach mushroom mixture, soup, milk, 1 cup cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.  Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour chicken pasta mixture into baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Martha:  I found a recipe for this dish in BH&G online but made a few changes.  I had 1/4 a box of shells and 1/4 box of twists and used them for my pasta giving me about 8 oz.  I changed the mushrooms to portabellas simply because I had some in the freezer that needed to be used.  Yes I freeze them when I find them on sale.  I sliced my onions and peppers instead of chopping and decided to use orange and yellow peppers instead of green to give color and a milder flavor.  Using the leafy spinach and cutting it into 1/4's made it blend better than chopped, at least to me.  I increased the amount of chicken as well as the cheddar cheese.  Now... the recipe directions didn't include when the cottage cheese was to be added.  I don't know if it was a misprint including it as an ingredient or if it was a mistake by not telling when to add so I just added it along with everything else.  Believe me, if it is a misprint and was not supposed to be an ingredient you'll want to add it.  This dish ended up feeding 8 people and I've gotten nothing but raves about it being one of the best.  It may have a long list of ingredients but it's worth every bite.