Thursday, November 5, 2009

Chicken with Creamed Spinach



I try to make birthdays special for our kids. While we try not to spend too much on presents, we do have some other special traditions. I always buy them a new outfit to wear to their party, including shoes (and nail polish for the girls). I also allow them to pick whatever meal they would like to share with our extended family, including themed birthday cake. I am very, very far from a baking professional, but the kids are always so excited anyway. We have had many different meals over the years, including: ribs and sticky rice, turkey dinner, reuben sandwiches, flank steak with grilled corn, and chicken with creamed spinach. Kate, our middle daughter, (and unfortunately for her, my twin, born 25 years apart) loves this chicken with creamed spinach. Of course, she loves noodles, so for her I always serve it on top of egg noodles. I don't remember what else we served that night, but I always ask my Nanny to bring pickled beets and eggs (she makes the best), my mother-in-law usually brings a relish tray, my mom usually brings another main dish (she's a much better cook than me!), and we fill in with lots of good food. It's usually a lot of work, and gets kinda pricey, but it's a tradition that includes family and makes the kids feel special.

Chicken with Creamed Spinach
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thinly
bread crumbs
parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded cheddar

1. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese (I would start with 1/2 cup of each). Dredge chicken breasts in crumb/parm mixture.
2. In a large saute pan, brown chicken breasts in olive oil. Remove breasts from pan once both sides are nicely browned and place into a baking dish.
3. In the same saute pan, add more oil if necessary and lightly brown garlic. Add spinach, yogurt, and remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until cheese is melted and the rest of the ingredients are combined well.
4. Pour "cream" mixture over chicken breasts, sprinkle with additional crumbs and parmesan and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until chicken breasts are cooked through and bread crumbs are golden.

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