I love baking cooked rice with chicken and a sauce because it makes for a quick and easy, super-tasty one-pot meal!
Look out for the crispy bits of rice that get stuck along the baking dish edges! Those little guys are saturated with the creamy mushroom sauce are the best part — simply delicious.
My very picky six-year-old is on board with this dish, and I hope it proves kid-friendly in your house, too!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups white rice (I like Basmati or Jasmine), rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Olive oil to coat the pan
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced Crimini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Combine the rice, broth (or stock), and salt in a medium-sized sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes — until all the liquid is absorbed.
While the rice is cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken on a large plate and heat a large saute pan with olive oil, over high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken in the pan by browning each side quickly — about 30 seconds per side. You should hear a sizzling sound when the chicken goes in the pan. If you don’t, the pan is not ready! Wait for the sizzle, or it won’t brown. Remove the chicken and place it on a clean plate and then set aside. (The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.)
Add the mushrooms and garlic to the same pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add more olive oil if the pan becomes dry.
In a large bowl, whisk the milk with the cornstarch and then add it to the mushrooms. Bring to a boil, season generously with salt and pepper, and then remove from the stove.
When the rice is done, add it to a baking dish — a 9-inch pie plate is great. Pour the mushroom mixture over the rice and then add the chicken, gently pressing it into the rice.
Some additional notes:
My kids love this dish, but if I were cooking for just me (and say, another grown-up), I’d add 1/2 cup chopped onion and a tablespoon of finely chopped, fresh sage and rosemary leaves. If you choose to do this, saute the onion and herbs together for about 4 minutes before adding the mushrooms to the pan.
Yes, you can also do this with chicken breasts, (two large breasts to replace four thighs) and yes, you can also use brown rice.
