One Dish Italian Chicken and Rice Bake

At a glance

What stands out: Do you think a rich, speedy, budget-friendly meal is impossible? Well, it’s not! This one dish Italian chicken and rice bake is here to save the day.

How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, a couple of hours to bake
Equipment you’ll need: 9 x 13 inch baking dish
Servings: 4

About this straightforward casserole

One Pan: This recipe only makes one pan dirty. Everything cooks together in the casserole dish – win!

Budget Friendly: We chose ingredients that are straightforward on your budget, something we all need these days!

Straightforward: Simply put all the ingredients (no need to cook the chicken first!) in a casserole dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake. It will take a couple of hours but it’s all hands off time, except for one stir in the middle of the baking time.

What goes in

Chicken: we use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts for two reasons. The first reason is because they are more budget-friendly. Secondly, this dish has to cook for quite awhile to make the rice tender. The chicken thighs don’t dry up like chicken breasts might.

Diced Tomatoes: Try diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano to keep the ingredient list nice and short — all the flavor you need is in the canned tomatoes. You can also use regular canned tomatoes and add dried basil and oregano, with a bit of garlic powder, to taste.

Like the convenience of canned tomatoes?

Canned tomatoes are a treasure in your pantry. In most cooked recipes, like this Italian chicken and rice bake, you won’t be able to tell the difference between canned and fresh. Here are a few more recipes using convenient and tasty canned tomatoes:

• 10 soups and stews made with canned tomatoes
• From-scratch pepperoni pizza Hot Pockets (only 4 ingredients)
• Restaurant style salsa
• Quinoa bowl with roasted tomatoes, ricotta, and balsamic (did you know you can roast canned tomatoes?)

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Total: 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup uncooked long grain brown rice
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (see note)
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• fresh parsley for garnish, if desired

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, mix together onion, bell pepper, rice, and canned tomatoes (undrained). Stir to combine. Add chicken thighs, pushing them down into the tomato mixture.
3. Cover tightly with foil and bake for one hour and 15 minutes.
4. Uncover, stir, cover tightly again and bake for 30-50 more minutes or until rice is tender.
5. Uncover, add cheese, and bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
6. Serve immediately.

Notes

Green bell peppers are typically the most budget-friendly option, but feel free to use your favorite color.

If you are using plain canned tomatoes, add a ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano.