Skillet Chicken Florentine

Marinated roasted chicken, garlicky/cheesy spinach, and a blanket of stretchy mozzarella. There is so much to love about this dish, it's hard to stop gawking. It may not be exactly traditional, but it's friggin' awesome. Impossibly easy too.

The spinach is fresh and light, with nutty bits of garlic and parmesan. The chicken is marinated with Dijon, basil, onion, and paprika and then roasted until golden and tender. Then mozzarella cheese showers over everything and melts into a gooey layer of heaven. A sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes for pop and dinner is served.

A "true" Florentine style spinach dish involves a cream sauce. Nothing fancy, just a simple butter/flour roux, milk and a little Dijon mustard. That's why I put Dijon mustard in the marinade for the chicken - to get the same classic flavor, but without a heavy cream sauce.

Since it's best to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes (and up to 24 hours), this is a great prep-ahead dish!

Note that I sliced the chicken crosswise before topping it with the cheese. I did this for two reasons: 1. It looks prettier than a plain chicken breast. 2. The cheese melts into the openings and covers more chicken with cheese! If you want to serve the chicken the way I did, once it's cooked through, slice each breast crosswise (without cutting all the way through the bottom) before placing it on the spinach and topping it with cheese.

Skillet Chicken Florentine

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and ground black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 4 ounces each
10-14 ounces baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving

In a shallow roasting pan, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, Dijon mustard, basil, onion powder, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the plastic from the chicken and roast for 25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Keep the oven at 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted but still vibrant green, stirring frequently to move the spinach from the bottom of the pan to the top. Stir in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Arrange the chicken over the spinach and top with the mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to melt the cheese.
Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve.
Serves 4