Italian Baked Chicken Thighs
Description
These chicken thighs with added veggies and dry Italian salad dressing served with crusty bread make a complete meal. Serve over pasta, rice, egg noodles, or potatoes.
Ingredients
•
1/2 tablespoon butter
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1/2 cup onion, chopped
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4 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
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2 tablespoons chicken broth
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2 tablespoons creamy basil and ricotta pesto (such as Barilla®)
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1 tablespoon dry Italian salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons®)
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1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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3 cups fresh spinach
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1 cup tomatoes, diced
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
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1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
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1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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3 slices mozzarella cheese
Directions
1
Melt butter in a skillet and cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3
Combine Neufchatel cheese, chicken broth, pesto, dry Italian salad dressing, garlic powder, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and beat using an electric mixer until well combined. Stir in spinach and sauteed onions. Gently fold in tomatoes and basil. Transfer mixture into a casserole dish.
4
Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on top of spinach mixture in the dish.
5
Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 20 to 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
6
Remove chicken from casserole dish, top with mozzarella cheese, and microwave until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Serve chicken topped with spinach mixture.