Chicken Florentine (one pot) recipe

I was thinking that I hadn’t posted a new recipe in a really long time. Funny thing is, I spent an awful lot of my quarantine time cooking, and even came up with a handful of new recipes.

One of my favorites was this Chicken Florentine recipe. We’d occasionally purchased the Bertolli Chicken Florentine & Farfalle, but, with my shellfish allergy, I am always so nervous that there my be cross-contamination from their wide selection of shrimp meals.

This recipe happened mostly by accident. It’s really just an adaptation of my versatile mac & cheese recipe. And, best of all, this recipe is all done in one pot.

Chicken Florentine (one pot)

ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• sweet onion, diced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups water
• 3 cups milk (I use whole milk)
• 1 bag (or box) chopped frozen spinach
• 1 tsp garlic (or substitute minced garlic)
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 pound favorite pasta
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of roasted chicken, shredded
• 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
• 2 oz cream cheese (optional)

directions

In large saucepan, melt butter. Sauté onion until just starting to golden. (If using minced fresh garlic, sauté for a few minutes) Stir in flour until well mixed. Cook the flour for just a minute or two.

Slowly whisk in the water and then the milk. Stir in the spinach and seasonings. Bring to a steady simmer, stirring every so often to keep the bottom from burning.

Stir in the pasta and the chicken (continue stirring for about a minute to help prevent noodles from sticking together). Return to a simmer and then reduce heat to low/medium low. Simmer, stirring occassionally, for about 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is cooked to desired doneness.

If you are using cream cheese, it does well to be stirred in during the last few minutes of cooking to allow it to melt and fully incorporate.

Remove from heat and stir in Italian cheeses. Continue stirring until cheese is fully melted and incorporated.

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Cooks notes

1. I used a lot of powdered milk during quarantine. I used 5 cups of water and one cup of powdered milk. It works great.
2. The cream cheese adds a bit of creaminess to the sauce. I use it when I have extra in the house, but the sauce doesn’t suffer from its absence.
3. If there is too much leftover liquid, don’t cook your noodles to mush. Try this instead; combine a tablespoon of butter with one or two tablespoons of flour (until it forms a sort of putty). Stir this mixture into your sauce and watch the magic happen.

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Serve with fresh baked bread or garlic bread.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment in the comments section.