Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole
We are a family of 3 with one teenage son. I usually make 6 chicken thighs and we wind up with 1-2 leftover and plenty of rice which I then use for a different meal the next night.
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth (we make our own and it does make a huge difference!! It's a great weekend activity to do and investing in a canner is so worth it!)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice such as brown basmati, rinsed
- 1 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs skin removed (or not, we do it both ways!) We get our chicken from Hillside Turkey Farm but you can find lots of local meat at marylandsbest.net)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese optional (but not really)
- 1 1/2 cups in season vegetables we have used fresh and frozen broccoli, asparagus, and peas but feel free to experiment!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Bring chicken broth to a boil on the stove, or heat in the microwave until hot.
Meanwhile, stir together the oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Put the rinsed long-grain rice in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of the seasoning mix. Pour the hot chicken broth over the rice and stir to combine.**If you are using fresh or frozen vegetables, add them here.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, covered.
- Meanwhile, rub the chicken thighs with the 2 teaspoons olive oil (be sure to remove the skin from the chicken first). Sprinkle chicken with the remaining spice mixture and rub it into the chicken.
- After the rice has baked for 30 minutes, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Being careful as the dish is very hot, place the chicken on top of the rice. Cover the dish tightly with the foil and, using potholders or oven mitts, return the covered dish to the oven. Continue baking for 40 minutes covered.
- Uncover the dish and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through to at least 165°F.
- Let casserole rest at room temperature for 5 minutes and then serve.
Notes:
- To make with boneless chicken thighs: Add the chicken to the pan 10 minutes later since boneless thighs need less cook time.
