Spanakopita Chicken Bake
Spanakopita Chicken Bake takes everything you love about the traditional Greek spinach pie and makes it into a full meal. Made with spinach, feta, and orzo, this recipe will definitely make it into your weekly dinner rotation!
Servings: 8
Calories: 356kcal
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon white cooking wine
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 12 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1/2 of a lemon, juice
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- phyllo dough
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Season both chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in a pot. Cover with one inch of broth (about 1/4-1/2 cup) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
- When the chicken is finished cooking, remove from the pot and allow to cool before shredding with two forks or a mixer.
- While the chicken is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots and garlic, and sauté for about two minutes or until the shallots begin to soften. Add the cooking wine, then whisk in the flour, and then 1 cup of the chicken broth. Cook, whisking frequently until thick and bubbly.
- Whisk in the half and half. Then mix in the feta, spinach, thyme, parsley, and lemon juice. Fold in the chicken and orzo and cook on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9X13 baking dish. Tear each layer of phyllo dough and arrange over top, spritzing with olive oil in between. I like to sprinkle with salt before baking. Lightly spritz with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the phyllo dough is brown and crispy, and the chicken mixture is heated through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- You can use your hand mixer or stand mixer to shred the chicken!
- If you want to keep it all in one pan, you can use a 12" cast iron skillet to make the chicken mixture on the stove and instead of transferring it to a baking dish, top it with the phyllo dough and place it right in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 525mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5513IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 2mg
