Food Recipes Salt-and-Pepper Chicken With Cheesy Spinach Quinoa 4.4 (5) 4 Reviews Comfort food made healthy(ish) is the name of the game for this simple chicken recipe that's perfect for a weeknight dinner. You have a tangy crispy chicken cutlet—perfectly balanced thanks to a dredge in Dijon mustard before a classic breadcrumb coating—and a spinach quinoa pilaf dressed up like mac 'n' cheese. By Emily Nabors Hall Emily Nabors Hall Emily has been a recipe developer with Dotdash Meredith brands for a decade. She has contributed dozens of recipes to Real Simple, specializing in flavor-forward weeknight meals that feed a family quickly and affordably, as well as baked sweets that are sure to delight. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 07, 2022 Rate PRINT Share Hands On Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1 ½ cups unsalted chicken broth 1 ¼ cups quinoa 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 3 cups baby spinach (about 3 oz.), coarsely chopped 4 chicken breast cutlets (about 1 lb.) ¾ teaspoon black pepper, divided 1 tablespoon canola oil 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about ¾ cup) Directions Stir together broth, quinoa, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in spinach and cover until wilted, about 3 minutes. While quinoa cooks, season chicken with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Stir cheese and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper into hot cooked quinoa. Serve with chicken. Victor Protasio Rate It Print