Ingredients
Chicken:
1 tablespoon butter
1.5 lb chicken breast skinless, boneless (4 small chicken breast or 2 large chicken breast, halved)
salt
¼ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
¼ teaspoon paprika
Creamed spinach:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 oz spinach fresh
4 garlic cloves minced
⅔ cup half and half
⅔ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Other Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 oz mushrooms sliced
4 slices bacon cooked, chopped
4 slices Pepper Jack cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese with Jalapenos
How To Make Smothered Chicken with Creamed Spinach, Bacon , And Mushrooms
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Butter the bottom of the baking dish (I used an oval casserole dish measured 13 inches x 9 inches x 4 inches deep).
Generously season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, lemon pepper seasoning, and a small amount of paprika. Place the chicken breasts, flat side down, into the greased baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 F.
How to make creamed spinach:
In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add spinach and cook for only 1 or 2 minutes, covered, until the spinach is thoroughly heated through and starts to wilt. Remove from heat. Add minced garlic and a half and half. Bring to boil. Add shredded mozzarella cheese and keep stirring, on high heat, until mozzarella cheese starts to melt – about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to simmer and keep stirring until you have a nice, smooth creamed spinach – about 30 seconds or 1 more minute. Season with salt to your taste. Remove from heat.
Cook mushrooms:
In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add sliced mushrooms and cook on high-medium heat for 1-2 minutes until mushroom caramelize. Do not salt mushrooms or it will prevent caramelization.
Smothered chicken assembly:
Remove the chicken breasts from the oven (you baked them for 15-20 minutes). Top each chicken breast with the creamed spinach, chopped cooked bacon, cooked mushrooms, and broken slices of pepper jack cheese. Bake in the oven, uncovered for 15-20 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Broil for the last 2-4 minutes, if desired, being careful not to burn the cheese on top.