Does anyone remember the cheesy, garlicky deliciousness of that old Hot Artichoke Dip that was so ubiquitous in the ’90s? It was basically artichokes, Parmesan, mayonnaise, and garlic and it was crazy, crazy good. I’m using all those flavors and more in this moist (sorry to say moist- but it is) luscious, creamy Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken. And it’s even crazier gooder than the dip, I swear. This is wanna lick your plate clean good. Hide any leftovers good. Get up in the middle of the night, alone so you don’t have to share, and eat them good!

Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken

Let’s take a minute and talk about that Hot Artichoke Dip – I saw a chef absolutely go off when he was asked for the recipe, it’s so simple. But people went cray cray for it and almost every restaurant had it on their menu. How good would those same flavors be over chicken? But maybe just a bit healthier would be great – to ring in the New Year…Just a quick note, this isn’t based off Spinach Artichoke Dip that Olive Garden made so famous, but I do have a recipe that uses my fabulous Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip (or a store bought one) Spinach Artichoke Dip Stuffed Chicken, just in case you dropped by here looking for that recipe.

About Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken:

This was inspired by a dish my Sister-in-Law whipped up for us on my last visit. I have mentioned my Sister-in-Law, the mad genius of cooking, the one who never uses recipes? She says, “Every meal should be an adventure!” and she’s so right – but when it’s really good, I need a recipe because I’m going to want that adventure more than once! She also makes the best Herbed Yogurt Sauce which she served with Summer Squash and Zucchini, is responsible for “my” Braised Turnip Greens and taught me the best trick ever for Asparagus. And now this deliciousness.

Her recipe: “Yeah, it’s yogurt. I might have put a little cheese in it?” Really? “Yeah, Parmesan.” Hmm. So, here is my version, riffed up a bit. Just to add in more flavor, more deliciousness and make it a little saucier – coz you can’t lick your plate w/o sauce, amirite? *g*

I would definitely serve this dish over Simple Mashed Potatoes or a rice pilaf like my Instant Pot Rice Pilaf. Maybe a rice pilaf with wild rice in it, so we can go back in time on that dish, too. Or if you’re going low carb, you can’t go wrong with Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower. For a side, Oven Roasted Carrots would be wonderful and how about a Simple Steamed Broccoli? Either will complement the dish beautifully and take a bit of a back seat to the rich flavors of the Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Making Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken:

I really like to use chicken cutlets in this dish; these days the chicken breasts are so huge they’re way more than a helping and when you use a chicken cutlet you get a better proportion of chicken to sauce. And because this dish tastes so rich, you don’t need a huge helping. To make the cutlets, just cut a chicken breast in half horizontally. Make sure you have a sharp knife. You can pound the breast out a bit if it’s really uneven.

The saucy part of Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken is just a bit of a judgment call when you make it. It uses yogurt, preferably whole milk, and you just never know how thick or thin that yogurt is because it varies with the brand. So I add everything in and look for a consistency kind of like a cake batter. Just thin enough to run and ooze out of the bowl but thick enough so that you need a spatula to help it along. If after everything is added to the sauce, if needed, thin it by the tablespoon with a little milk or water. The mayo and the oil are essential to the recipe; they’re what allows that sauce to turn saucy in the oven. Made with plain yogurt, it will basically just make a thick coating on top. Drain the artichokes well or they will water everything down in an unpredictable manner.

Feel free to riff on this recipe. Heck, I added in the olives and one of my best versions had about a half a cup of shredded gouda because I ran short on Parmesan. Maybe a little drizzle of white wine in the sauce instead of lemon. Maybe more artichokes (I vote for that, next time) and possibly, if you want to, tuck a little spinach in, here and there or add fresh basil or vary the herbs. Maybe sub out the Parmesan for some Asiago or Feta. Sprinkle a little cheese over the top. After all, after you’ve made this once, who needs a recipe? It’s that easy.

Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken = so good over mashed potatoes or with rice pilaf

Saving Money on Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken:

I originally made this recipe in January of 2015 and it ran about $4.50 to make. I completely reworked the recipe and added new text and photos in August 2019. The photos were so bad that in over 4 years it was only shared out 20 times and looked at under 150 times. Wow, what a shame a bad photo is and that’s proof you eat with your eyes, first! Now, I’m still not the greatest photographer, so you’ll have to trust how good this is. And maybe give it some love and share it out. 🙂

The cost for this recipe has gone up – and it’s not the chicken which has stayed steady in our area – the best sales price per quarter is about 99 cents a pound. Using cutlets instead of a full breasts lowers the price too. Yogurt has risen, buy it at Aldi where it’s less than the grocery or buy it at Costco where a container runs about the same as at the store but is much larger.

Look for specialty items like artichoke hearts and olives in the area of your grocery store where items are discounted as they near their “best if used by date.” I frequently find both in carts or on the shelves at the back of the store. Note I didn’t say “expiration” date because there is no such thing and the “best by” date is just a suggestion. Both of these items last well beyond that date and I can vouch for them from personal experience.

Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken – it’s the luscious sauce that makes the dish!!

Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken with Parmesan & Yogurt

Print Recipe

• Author: Joan B
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Chicken Main Dish
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets (breasts cut in half horizontally) pounded if needed
• 1 can of artichoke hearts, well-drained, about 1/3 of the hearts chopped, the rest quartered
• 1/3 cup of sliced olives, Kalamata is good
• 1/2 cup or so, or a 5-ounce container plain Greek yogurt
• 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or even better, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/3 cup, grated, of a meltier cheese like Provolone or Gouda)
• Juice and about 1/2 teaspoon zest from a smallish lemon (about 2 tablespoons juice)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
• A dash of milk or water to thin if needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley, chives or basil, thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Arrange one oven rack under broiler and the other in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or use a bit of olive oil brushed over the bottom and sides.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Place in casserole, sprinkle the quartered artichoke hearts and olives around, tucking in a few between the breasts.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, diced artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, the Parmesan cheese or the combination of cheeses, the lemon juice and zest, oil, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste; suggest 1/2 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper.

Add a touch of milk or water by the tablespoon full as needed. Yogurt varies in texture and thickness, so it is difficult to give an exact amount of liquid; look for a pourable consistency to the sauce. It should be like a thick cake batter and need a little help from a spatula to pour. Spread over chicken breasts and vegetables.

Cover and bake for 35 minutes; chicken should be done when tested. Move casserole to the top of the oven, uncover and broil until hot and bubbly around the edges and the topping is golden brown in spots.

Garnish with chopped parsley, finely chopped chives or a chiffonade of basil.

Nutrition: Calories 268; tot fat 10g; chol 79mg; sod 875mg; pot 409mg; tot carb 13g; fib 2g; sug 6g; prot 31g; vit a 5%; vit c 7%; calc 28%; iron 7%

Keywords: Artichokes, Aunt Joan, Bargain Meal of the Week, Cheese, Chicken, Chicken Breast, Family Recipe, Lemon, Mayonnaise, Olives, parmesan, Yogurt

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I’ll be sharing Hot Artichoke Dip Chicken at Fiesta Friday #287, hosted this week by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Rita @ Parsi Cuisine

While the chicken baked, Gibson and I took a quick walk around the neighborhood – walking in snow is somewhat magical! It’s warmed up considerably from our high of minus 1 degree of yesterday. today, we’re supposed to hit 11 above with a low of 11 below. Some views from my neighborhood, along with the path next to my house.

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