Spinach Artichoke Chicken — The Fancy-Tasting Skillet That Made Marcus Suspicious and Jasmine Silent (Which Is the Same as a Standing Ovation)

Heat index hit 105 on Wednesday. Atlanta in July is an endurance sport. You don't go outside — you survive outside. The air is so thick with humidity you can practically chew it. The townhouse AC is working overtime and I'm pretending not to worry about the electric bill because worrying about the electric bill in July is as inevitable as the heat itself.

Marcus has entered a phase where he wants to "lift weights," which currently means doing push-ups in his room and flexing in the bathroom mirror. He's eleven. He has the upper body of a pool noodle. But the desire is there, and I'm not going to discourage a child who wants to be strong, so I bought him a set of five-pound dumbbells at Walmart and now he carries them around the house like they're trophies. Jasmine asked for dumbbells too, not because she wants to lift weights but because she wants to be included. I bought her a set. She used them once and then went back to reading.

This week I tried something new in the kitchen — a lemon herb chicken that I found in a magazine at the dentist's office. I tore the page out (I'm that person, yes, I am not sorry) and made it Wednesday night. It was good. It was not Brenda's kitchen good. It was "a woman trying something different" good. Marcus said it tasted "fancy," which from him is suspicious. Jasmine ate it without comment, which means she approved. I'm learning that my cooking doesn't have to be a photocopy of Mama's. It can be inspired by her and still be mine. That's a lesson that applies to more than chicken.

Vanessa came over Friday night after the kids went to bed. She brought wine — the cheap kind, Barefoot Moscato, which is objectively terrible wine but we've been drinking it since Spelman so it tastes like friendship. We sat on my couch and she told me about a doctor at Grady who keeps asking her to dinner and she keeps saying no because she's been divorced for a year and isn't ready. I said, "When you're ready, you'll know." She said, "How will I know?" I said, "I have absolutely no idea." We finished the bottle and she slept on my couch and it was the most normal night I've had in months.

Saturday at Mama's. She was up and moving, slowly but moving. She asked about the lemon chicken and I described it and she said, "Sounds white." I said, "It was from Southern Living." She said, "My point stands." We laughed so hard Daddy came in from the porch to see what happened. He looked at us laughing in the kitchen and his face did something that I can't describe except to say it was the face of a man watching two women he loves being happy, and the relief of it nearly broke him.

After that weekend—Keisha on my couch, Mama laughing in the kitchen until Daddy’s face broke open with relief—I didn’t want anything fussy or precious. I wanted something warm and generous, the kind of food that fills a room up. This spinach artichoke chicken skillet was exactly that: one pan, nothing to prove, just good.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Skillet

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each), pounded to even thickness
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Fresh lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of each breast.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken and sear without moving for 5–6 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
3. Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic to the same skillet and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
4. Make it creamy. Add cream cheese cubes and sour cream to the skillet. Stir continuously until cream cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth, about 2–3 minutes. If the sauce is very thick, add a splash more broth.
5. Add the greens and artichokes. Stir in the chopped artichoke hearts and baby spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted and artichokes are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and red pepper flakes if using. Taste and adjust salt.
6. Return the chicken. Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the skillet, spooning the sauce over the top. Let everything cook together on low for 2 minutes so the chicken absorbs the flavors.
7. Serve. Plate each breast with a generous spoonful of the spinach artichoke sauce. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the top. Serve with rice, crusty bread, or roasted potatoes to catch every bit of that sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 46g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 610mg