Chicken Florentine Casserole

By ngaldi

Chicken, linguine, and chopped spinach are tossed with a creamy Parmesan sauce and baked in the oven for a casserole that's fit for a special occasion dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 large clove garlic, sliced
• 1 pound fresh spinach, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 ounces less-fat cream cheese, cut up and softened
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 pound linguine, broken in half
• 2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 35mins
Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from recipe.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to boiling over high heat. 2. Combine chicken, 3/4 cup water, wine and garlic in saucepan. Bring to boiling over high heat; reduce heat; gently simmer, covered, 15 minutes. 3. Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool. Measure broth, adding water if needed to make a total of 1-3/4 cups. Tear chicken into about 1/2-inch-wide shreds. 4. Place wet spinach in large nonreactive pot; cover; cook over high heat until wilted, 3 minutes. Drain, lightly pressing out excess water. Coarsely chop; return to pot. 5. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in reserved 1-3/4 cups broth mixture; cook, stirring, until thickened and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan. 6. Add cheese sauce and shredded chicken to spinach in pot. 7. Meanwhile, add linguine to boiling water; cook until firm but tender, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain; add to spinach mixture. Turn into prepared casserole. 8. Combine remaining Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and paprika in small bowl. Sprinkle over top. 9. Bake in 375 degrees F oven about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand at least 15 minutes. Serve.