Easy to make Artichoke Chicken

Chicken, chicken, chicken! I love chicken! Chicken is so versatile, but it sometimes gets a bad rap! People think of it as boring or plain. Fair enough, but it’s just the way you’ve been making it. You need more options. Here’s a GREAT one for you to try: Artichoke Chicken. One of the biggest complaints people have about boneless, skinless chicken is that it has no flavor. Flavor is big in this recipe as it is inspired by one of the best appetizers around, artichoke dip. Seems I always have a can of artichoke hearts in the pantry. Add a few staple ingredients like mayonnaise, grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and some seasonings, and you have a flavorful topping that keeps the chicken moist. You won’t believe how easy it is or how delicious it tastes. Bonus: it looks special occasion worthy. Who wouldn’t want a beautiful chicken dish to serve for a weeknight meal OR as a special meal for, say, Valentine’s Day dinner at home?

Let’s dive into the ingredients, shall we? I love olive oil to prepare the casserole dish. You can use avocado oil, if you prefer. Either oil is good, as you use a very small amount that does little to change to flavor of the finished product. If you don’t have either, then a neutral vegetable oil is okay.

For the chicken, use about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast. I like to get organic, free-range chicken whenever possible, but any type you prefer tastes just the same in this dish. You’ll put the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and pound with a rolling pin (or whatever method you prefer) to an even thickness, not thin, just even so it cooks uniformly.

Next you’ll season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder before preparing the filling. Artichoke hearts are the star of the show, but they don’t need to be fancy. A 14-15 ounce can packed in water does the trick. Drain them and chop into bite-sized pieces. Any brand will do; I often use store brands and have found the ones that I like. Artichoke hearts seem to be great regardless of the brand. My most recent brand was Essential at my favorite, local grocery store and they were better, fresher looking than my usual Reese brand.

The juice of a fresh lemon adds brightness and acidity to the dish. Don’t skip this ingredient! Its subtle, but important.

One surprise ingredient in this dish is mayonnaise. Not only does it act as binder for the artichoke hearts and parmesan cheese, but helps the chicken retain its natural juiciness.

Parmesan cheese adds saltiness and tang. I like to use two different forms (half a cup of each): grated and shredded. You probably have grated parmesan cheese in the green shaker canister sitting in your fridge. That is perfect! You don’t need a second form, but if you have the fancier shredded stuff, use that, too. Either way, it will turn out fantastic.

The final ingredient is Gruyère cheese. Gruyère gives it a golden crust that you could eat all by itself – it’s that good! Talk about a beautiful presentation – this cheese does the trick. Sometimes it can be a little harder to find Gruyère. Check the gourmet cheese section of your grocery store. It usually comes in blocks and you grate it yourself, which is so much better anyway. If you can’t find it, use either more parmesan cheese or even mozzarella cheese.

Give this recipe a try for your next weeknight chicken dinner at home or for a special occasion. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!