Chicken Florentine with Butternut Squash
- 4.0 stars
- 45m
- 45m
- 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 c chicken broth
- 1/8 c white wine
- parchment paper
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
- 16 oz frozen butternut squash, pre-cubed
- sea salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- water, for cooking spinach
- 16 oz spinach
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Place dish under broiler for a quick 2-3 minutes just until cheese is melted. Serve hot.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Peel and finely dice onion. Zest and juice lemon. For every 1/2 lemon the recipe calls for, measure out 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of zest to use (your amount will vary depending on your portion size). Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another two minutes. Add broth and wine, and stir to combine and deglaze the pan. Reduce heat to low and allow sauce to simmer.
- While the onion cooks, line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Take chicken out of the package, pat dry, and trim any excess fat. Lay the chicken on one side of the parchment paper and arrange the butternut squash in a single layer on the other side.
- Generously season with salt and pepper, doing both sides of the chicken - do not skip this. Bake chicken and squash in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165F measured with a meat thermometer.
- While the chicken and squash cook, fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Drop spinach into the boiling water and stir just until the spinach begins to wilt.
- Immediately transfer the spinach to an ice bath to stop it from cooking, drain, and squeeze out the liquid. The wrung spinach should now be about the size of a softball.
- Remove chicken and squash from oven, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and layer it with the squash into a small casserole dish. Layer spinach on top of the chicken and squash.
- Finish the sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in water and adding it to the simmering sauce. Continue simmering for a few minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper until the flavors pop. This will be the key to your final dish being delicious rather than bland. Pour sauce on top of the chicken and veggies and top with remaining Parmesan cheese, if using.
Tina
Really good! I did use fresh butternut squash instead of frozen. Think I will do the butternut squash and chicken the day before next time and then do the sauce and spinach when I am ready to fix it.