Creamy Potato Spinach Chicken Skillet

Another example of lazy cooking. I'm using amounts in this recipe just so you know how much I used. That being said, the amounts are entirely unimportant. Just combine things however you want. The only thing to think about is seasoning amount, but, as usual, just start with a little and add more to taste. Potatoes and chicken are optional, but recommended because they taste good.

I'm proving two sets of directions. Both are delicious and pretty easy, although the second takes a bit longer. If you go by the second set of directions, the onions will be sweeter and more tender and the potatoes will be crispier. Just go with your preference.

Ingredients:

• Enough olive oil to film the bottom of the skillet
• 1 diced or thin sliced onion
• Dash of red chili flakes
• About a 1/2 cup chopped frozen spinach, mostly thawed. (You could also use fresh chopped spinach, but you'll need something like 1.5 cups or more)
• 1 pre-boiled or baked potato, cut into small cubes
• 1 clove of garlic, grated. (Or 1/4 tsp jarred minced garlic. Or just a bit of garlic powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Around 3 TBSP of white wine, broth, milk, or water
• Some cooked shredded chicken (1/3 cup?)
• 1 heaped tablespoon of cream cheese.
• Optional squeeze of lemon

Directions I (Simple):

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sautee until tender and translucent. Add little tiny dash of chilli flakes.
• Add potatoes and sautee for a few minutes to let them heat up a bit.
• Add spinach, chicken, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.
• Add a bit of wine/broth/milk/water to keep things from drying out. Continue sauteeing until ingredients are heated and liquid is reduced to almost nothing.
• Just before serving, dot cream cheese over the top and stir in to make it all melty and creamy. (Optional, use a bit of cream if you don't have cream cheese).
• (Optional, add a tiny squeeze of lemon right before serving.)
• Eat.

Directions II (Also Easy, but Takes Longer):

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add onions and slowly sautee until tender and brown. (Carmelized. Yum).
• Set onions aside. Add a bit more oil to the skillet and raise the heat to med-high. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and chilli. Toss a bit to distribute seasoning, then press down into the pan a bit with your spatula. Let potatoes hang out for a good two minutes or so to let them get really brown. Flip or toss. Let hang out longer to brown on other sides.
• Reduce heat to med-low or medium and add spinach, chicken, a bit more salt and pepper, and grated garlic. (You could also add a bit more cumin and coriander if you like)
• Add liquid and continue sauteeing until ingredients are heated and liquid is reduced to almost nothing.
• Dot cream cheese over the top and mix in until creamy and melty. (Note, use a bit of cream if you don't have cream cheese).
• Optional squeeze of lemon.
• Eat.

Wait... this can go over PASTA???

Yes. In fact it can. Leave out the potatoes and do the following:

• Boil pasta while you're making spinach stuff. Some stumpy kind of pasta would probably work well...whatever you don't have to twirl.
• At the end, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to your skillet. Simmer and reduce a bit.
• Add cooked pasta to the skillet and continue cooking over med for just a few minutes, so that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce.
• Eat.