Remember those school days when there was a chance of a flurry? You’d wake up early, run to the radio, and exclaim with pure joy when your school was mentioned on the cancellation list. Gosh, what a thrill that brought. You’d bundle up to play outside and your momma would make her special Snow-Day Rice Casserole. Can’t you smell it? Walking in with rosy cheeks to a nice, warm helping of this savory dish, packed full of juicy chicken, tender veggies, and fluffy rice. Mmm, it was the perfect ending to a perfect day. So, the next time the white stuff starts to fall, bring back all the memories with Snow-Day Rice Casserole!
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs or breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup parmesan, grated, plus its rind, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup white jasmine rice
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup zucchini, grated
- 1 tablespoon sage leaves, chopped, plus 8 whole sage leaves, divided
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 1/3 cup water, optional
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a bowl, add the chicken thighs, the olive oil, the grated parmesan, the garlic, the thyme, the rosemary, the paprika, the cayenne, the salt, and the pepper and toss to coat.
Step 4 –Pour the rice, the orzo, the onion, the zucchini, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped sage into the prepared baking dish.
Step 5 –Pour the broth over the rice mixture and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Stir to combine.
Step 6 –Arrange the coated chicken thighs over the rice mixture and top with the parmesan rind.
Step 7 –Bake the casserole until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and the rice is fluffy, about 30-40 minutes. If the rice is still hard, add the water and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 8 –In a skillet over medium heat, add the remaining butter and the remaining whole sage leaves and cook until the butter is browning and the sage is crisp, about 4 minutes.
Step 9 –Top the casserole with the sage butter and crispy sage leaves.
Step 10 –Serve.
