Martha Stewart Chicken And Spinach Casserole Recipe

A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is doing most of the work in this recipe and I am not ashamed. Martha Stewart’s Chicken and Spinach Casserole is a creamy chicken casserole made with shredded rotisserie chicken, wilted spinach, a white wine cream sauce with half-and-half, and torn bread baked on top at 450 degrees until golden and bubbling.

I make this every fall when I want a warm, cozy chicken casserole that takes about 30 minutes and does not require me to cook any chicken from scratch. This is one of Martha Stewart’s rotisserie chicken recipes that actually feels homemade even though the biggest shortcut is already sitting in the bag.

Try More Dinner Recipes:

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken Spinach Potato Hash
• Chicken Enchiladas

Why You Will Love This Chicken Spinach Casserole:

• The cream sauce is fast and real: You cook onion and garlic, add wine, stir in flour, then whisk in half-and-half. It takes less than 15 minutes and tastes like something from scratch because it is. I was surprised how thick and rich it gets with just 2 tablespoons of flour.
• Rotisserie chicken is the whole trick: You skip the longest part of any casserole by starting with chicken that is already cooked and seasoned. I just shred a cup of it right off the bone and stir it into the sauce. No poaching, no baking, no waiting.
• The torn bread on top gets crispy: Not breadcrumbs, actual torn pieces of bread tossed in olive oil. They brown up in 8 to 10 minutes and give you that crunch against the creamy filling underneath. I look forward to the top layer more than anything else in this dish.

Chicken And Spinach Casserole Ingredients

• 2 cups torn bread
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 cups packed flat-leaf spinach, washed
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken And Spinach Casserole

1. Prep the bread: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Toss the torn bread with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set it aside.
2. Cook the spinach: Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the spinach, season with salt, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Move it to a colander, let it cool, then squeeze out the water. Chop it roughly and set aside.
3. Cook the onion and garlic: Wipe the pot clean and heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
4. Build the cream sauce: Pour in the white wine and cook until it has almost all evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half. Add the lemon juice and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
5. Add the filling: Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the chopped spinach and the shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Top and bake: Pour everything into a 2-quart baking dish. Scatter the bread pieces on top. Bake until the bread is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve right away.

Recipe Tips

• Squeeze the spinach dry: If you skip this step the water from the spinach will thin out your cream sauce and the casserole will be soupy instead of thick. I squeeze it hard in the colander with my hands until nothing drips out.
• Use hearty bread: Martha does not specify but brioche or day-old French bread works best. Soft sandwich bread falls apart and turns mushy. I tear it by hand so the rough edges get extra crispy in the oven.
• Do not skip the lemon juice: Half a teaspoon sounds like nothing but it brightens the whole cream sauce. Without it the casserole tastes flat and one-note. I noticed the difference immediately when I forgot it once.

The Bread On Top Is Everything

I tried this once with store-bought breadcrumbs and it was not the same. The torn bread gives you big, uneven pieces that get golden and crunchy on the outside but stay a little soft where they soak up the sauce. That contrast is the whole point.

Day-old bread is actually better here because it does not absorb the sauce as fast. If your bread is fresh, leave the pieces out on the counter for an hour before you toss them with oil.

What Goes Well With This Spinach Casserole

Something simple and green. Glazed carrots are my go-to because the sweetness balances the creamy sauce. A green bean casserole on the side makes it a double-casserole night which sounds like a lot but people love it.

If I want something starchier I add scalloped potatoes. That is a heavy table but it is the kind of dinner where everyone goes quiet and just eats.

How To Store Leftovers

Sealed container, fridge, 3 to 4 days. The bread on top gets soft overnight but the filling actually tastes richer the next day as the cream sauce sets.

I reheat slices in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. The bread crisps back up and you almost cannot tell it is a leftover.

FAQs

• Do I have to use rotisserie chicken? No. Martha says any leftover cooked chicken works, like roast chicken from last night. You can also poach raw chicken in boiling water until it shreds easily. I use rotisserie because it is already seasoned and saves me 20 minutes.
• Can I skip the white wine? Yes. Martha says you can replace it with chicken or vegetable broth. The wine adds a sharpness that cuts through the cream but broth will still give you a good sauce.
• Can I make this ahead? Martha says you can assemble everything uncooked the day before and keep it in the fridge. Just add the bread right before you bake so it stays crunchy. I have done this and it works perfectly for weeknight dinners when I want zero effort.
• Can I use frozen spinach? You can but you need to thaw it and squeeze out every bit of water first. Fresh spinach wilts faster and has a better texture in the cream sauce. I use fresh whenever I can.

More Dinner Recipes:

• Chicken Pot Pie With Puff Pastry
• Chicken Divan
• Chicken Risotto

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 420
• Total Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Cholesterol: 80mg
• Sodium: 560mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 28g
• Protein: 22g