This One Pan Marry Me Chickpeas dish is a delicious and meat-free version of the classic chicken dinner! It featured tender chickpeas combined with spinach, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes.
All served in a rich creamy sauce, this dish is filling, satisfying, and packed with nutrition. So easy to make, you'll return to this recipe over and over for weeknight meals and crowd-pleasing Sunday dinners!
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🩵 About This Recipe
Featuring creamy chickpeas and wholesome spinach in a rich and easy sauce, this dish is your new favorite weeknight meal! Comforting and flavorful, it comes together in just 20 minutes with very little prep and cleanup.
Inspired by the flavors of Marry Me Chicken, this vegetarian version of the dish is just as filling and hearty. You only need five ingredients to make a fantastic dinner that you'll never get tired of eating!
And if you have leftover chickpeas, try my Air Fryer Chickpeas as a light and tasty snack.
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- sun-dried tomatoes - provide a fresh and tangy flavor with a bit of sweetness.
- minced garlic - I prefer to use fresh garlic for the best flavor, but jarred garlic works just fine in a pinch!
- chickpeas - make this dish filling and act as a replacement for meat protein.
- cream cheese - forms a rice and creamy sauce.
- baby spinach - for some wholesome nutrients and added color.
🔪 Let's Make Marry Me Chickpeas!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Cook Tomatoes
Heat tomatoes with garlic in a skillet over medium high heat for a minute or two.
Cook Chickpeas
Add the chickpeas with some water and salt and pepper if desired. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the chickpeas are heated through.
Make Sauce
Mix in the cream cheese until it's full incorporated and a creamy sauce forms.
Add Spinach
Stir in the baby spinach until it wilts, about a minute or two. Serve over rice or quinoa and enjoy!
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Give the chickpeas a good rinse and pat dry before cooking. Adding too much excess moisture will lead to a less creamy sauce.
- Full fat cream cheese will create the creamiest sauce. A lower fat version can make the dish a bit lighter, but the sauce won't be as rich.
- Lower the heat when adding the cream cheese and spinach. High heat can cause the cream cheese to get grainy as it incorporates with the chickpeas.
- Be sure to wait until the very end to add the spinach. It only needs a minute or two to wilt, and adding it sooner can alter the fresh color and flavor.
❔ FAQs
Also called garbanzo beans, these legumes are packed with nutrients, protein, and fiber which makes them a filling and wholesome ingredient to add to any dish.
The flavors in this dish are said to be so good that serving it to somebody would make them want to marry you!
Yes, you'll need to cook them first and then drain them well to avoid adding excess liquid to the dish. To cook dried chickpeas, I recommend soaking them overnight, then simmering in a pot until tender.
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- If you want a kick of heat, add some red pepper flakes.
- To make this dish even heartier, add some chopped bell pepper or mushrooms alongside the tomatoes.
- Kale can be used instead of the spinach, or use another kind of greens of your choice.
- This dish can be made dairy-free with a non dairy cream cheese substitute.
Kristin's Kitchen Tip
Drain off excess oil from the sun-dried tomatoes or our sauce might become too oily. You can reserve a bit of oil to add for extra flavor though!
🥡 Storage and Reheating
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze this dish technically, but the cream cheese often thaws out to be a bit grainy and might separate out from the sauce a bit.
Reheat in the microwave or back in the skillet. The sauce tends to thicken as it sits, so a bit of water or even some kind of broth might be necessary to thin it out a bit. If reheating from frozen, allow leftovers to thaw in the fridge first.
Keep It Handy
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🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
I love to serve this marry me chickpeas dish over couscous, rice, or quinoa. Some roasted vegetables or a salad on the side would round this out into a complete meal, and some crusty bread is fantastic for sopping up all of the leftover tomato sauce.
😋 More One Pan Recipes You'll Love
- One Pot Taco Pasta - Switch up your taco night with this amazing taco-inspired pasta dinner.
- One Skillet Creamy Tomato Chicken - Flavorful and rich, this is the perfect comfort dinner for fans of tomato sauce!
- Creamy Chicken Mushroom Orzo with Parmesan - Thanks to the earthy flavor of mushrooms paired with salty cheese, this quick and easy orzo is guaranteed to satisfy.
- One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo - This amazing dish from Deep Fried Honey is a simple and tasty take on the classic creamy pasta dinner.
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Creamy Chickpeas with Spinach
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📋 Recipe Card
One Pan Marry Me Chickpeas with Spinach
Ingredients
- 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 45 ounces chickpeas 3 cans, rinsed and drained
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 3 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Place the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Add the chickpeas and ¼ cup of water into the skillet. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper if desired. Cook for 5 minutes until the chickpeas are heated through.45 ounces chickpeas
- Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the cream cheese continuously until it melts into a rich, creamy sauce.4 ounces cream cheese
- Stir in the baby spinach gently for 1-2 minutes until it wilts.3 cups baby spinach
- Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve over rice or quinoa.
Notes
Prep Tips:
- Drain the sun-dried tomatoes well before chopping them so the sauce doesn't become too oily. Reserve a little of the oil if you'd like to use it for extra flavor in the skillet.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas thoroughly before adding to keep the sauce from becoming watery.
- Use full-fat cream cheese for the creamiest sauce.
- Keep the heat low once you add the cream cheese. Gentle heat helps it melt into the chickpeas without becoming grainy.
- Add the spinach at the very end. It only needs a minute or two to wilt, and cooking it too long can make it lose its fresh color and texture.
Variations:
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Stir in a few extra chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
- For a heartier dish, add sliced mushrooms or chopped bell peppers along with the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic.
- Swap the spinach for baby kale if desired.
- Use a dairy-free cream cheese alternative to make the dish dairy-free.
Serving Suggestions:
- Serve over couscous instead of rice or quinoa if desired.
- Add a simple green salad or roasted vegetables on the side for a complete meal.
- Serve with crusty bread to soak up the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
- A sprinkle of fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley, makes a nice finishing touch.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- The sauce will thicken as it chills. You can add a small splash of water when reheating if needed.
- Reheat gently in a skillet or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until heated through.
- This dish can be frozen, although the cream cheese sauce may change slightly in texture after thawing. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat gently, adding a little water if needed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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