Spinach artichoke chicken casserole

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F/160°C fan (or 180°C conventional).

Place the garlic cloves unpeeled and the chicken breasts in an oven-safe dish and then roast in the oven for around 20 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

Whilst the garlic and chicken are roasting, prepare the casserole. Combine the chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and half of the parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the spinach mixture and stir to combine. Chop the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and add to the mixture.

In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese until fluffy and gradually add the whole milk.

Add the spinach mixture to a non-stick casserole dish. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the top, covering the filling evenly. Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese and bake for 25 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve warm straight from the oven.

Tips & tricks

A casserole is a baked one-pan dish that's made from any number of different ingredients.

Usually, it’ll include a mix of a protein, like chicken in the recipe we’ve shared, vegetables, and a starchy element like pasta or potatoes. In the recipe above, however, we’ve opted to keep it nice and cheesy and creamy, but you could add pasta to the dish as desired.

You’ll want to make sure you thoroughly drain the frozen spinach prior to adding to the casserole mix. If there’s any leftover water in the spinach this will come out during cooking and likely cause a watery texture in your casserole. We’ve used parmesan cheese in the recipe above, as this pairs naturally with spinach and chicken, but you can vary the cheese as preferred. Other chefs will use a variety of cheeses, including Cheddar and a sprinkling of mozzarella on top too.

For those who like their casserole with a kick, you can add a touch of spice to this recipe. We’ve kept the seasoning fairly easy and straightforward, but some chefs will add cayenne pepper or a dash of paprika to the recipe for a spicy depth.

Whilst artichoke is best in season in the late winter and early spring months, casseroles are a quintessential fall dish to master. Cozy and cheesy, they’re the perfect dish for crisper days. For more fall recipe inspiration, try everything from roast squash to pumpkin risotto to make the most of the flavors of the season.

Storage

For any leftovers, you can store this casserole in the fridge for up to two days. It’s best to transfer into an airtight container for storage. When you want to reheat the casserole, simply heat the oven back to 350°F/175°C, cover with kitchen foil, and reheat for around 20 minutes, or until fully warmed through. It’s possible to freeze your casserole too, just make sure you leave time for it to thaw in the fridge overnight before the day you’d like to reheat and eat it.