THE EASIEST HEALTHY CASSEROLE
Casseroles may be one of the most common home-made dishes, and they tend to have an unhealthy reputation. Is there anything more comforting than a chicken & rice casserole though? We actually don’t think so. It’s the type of recipe we turn to time after time again during the fall and winter. If you’d rather sub in chicken breasts instead of thighs, you totally can — we just love thighs for their flavor and crispy skin. Here’s why this casserole is so great:
1. You don’t even have to dirty a pan. This is a literal dump ‘n bake recipe: You put the uncooked rice and onion, broccoli, broth, and cream of mushroom soup into a casserole dish and then top with the chicken thighs.
2. It only dirties ONE dish. Seriously, how could you go back to a normal recipe after this? By layering ingredients in the baking dish, you won’t have to bust out a skillet or bowl. Which makes this casserole perfect for a lazy Tuesday when calling up pizza delivery is all too tempting.
INGREDIENTS
Extra-virgin olive oil, for baking dish
2 c. white rice, rinsed well and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1.5 cups broccoli florets, chopped
2 c. low-sodium bone broth or chicken broth
2 (10.5-oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lb.)
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp. Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9″-x-13″ baking dish with oil. Add rice, onion, broccoli, broth, and the cream-of-mushroom soup and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place chicken thighs skin side up in rice mixture and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes more, until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn oven to broil, add parmesan cheese, and broil until chicken is golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with parsley before serving.
