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Per serving
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- 1
Preheat and prep
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish and set aside. Finely dice the onion and celery — aim for small pieces so they melt into the sauce. Mince the garlic or use garlic from a jar.
- 2
Make the spiced flour mixture
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, dried parsley, kosher salt, seasoning salt, poultry seasoning, black pepper, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in the mixture to coat all sides. Do not discard the leftover seasoned flour — you'll use it in the sauce.
- 3
Sear the chicken
Heat a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Working in batches if needed, add chicken in a single layer and sear about 2 minutes until well browned. Flip each piece, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and sear the second side 1–2 minutes until browned. Transfer seared chicken to a plate. The chicken won't be cooked through — that's fine.
- 4
Build the white sauce
Leave any drippings in the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Sauté the diced onion and celery about 4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Measure the remaining seasoned flour and add plain flour as needed to reach about 1/2 cup; sprinkle over the vegetables, stirring as you go. Stir in the chicken broth base. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth, then add 1 cup of the water the same way. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
- 5
Assemble and bake
Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear, at least 30–60 seconds. Add the rinsed rice to the greased casserole dish along with the remaining 1 3/4 cups water. Pour the white sauce over the rice and stir to combine. Nestle the seared chicken pieces on top — they will sink in slightly. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes. Increase the oven to 400°F and bake a final 20–30 minutes, until the chicken is deeply browned and the rice is tender and bubbly at the edges. Rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
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Chicken and Rice Casserole
Created by: SundayPrepCo
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs
- 1 lb chicken drumsticks
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp seasoning salt
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 tbsp butter
- 1 onion
- 3/4 cup celery
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 1/2 tbsp chicken broth base
- 1 cup milk
- 2 3/4 cup water
- 1 3/4 cup long grain white rice
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat and prepPreheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish and set aside. Finely dice the onion and celery — aim for small pieces so they melt into the sauce. Mince the garlic or use garlic from a jar.
- Make the spiced flour mixtureIn a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, dried parsley, kosher salt, seasoning salt, poultry seasoning, black pepper, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in the mixture to coat all sides. Do not discard the leftover seasoned flour — you'll use it in the sauce.
- Sear the chickenHeat a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Working in batches if needed, add chicken in a single layer and sear about 2 minutes until well browned. Flip each piece, add 2 tablespoons of the butter, and sear the second side 1–2 minutes until browned. Transfer seared chicken to a plate. The chicken won't be cooked through — that's fine.
- Build the white sauceLeave any drippings in the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Sauté the diced onion and celery about 4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Measure the remaining seasoned flour and add plain flour as needed to reach about 1/2 cup; sprinkle over the vegetables, stirring as you go. Stir in the chicken broth base. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth, then add 1 cup of the water the same way. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Assemble and bakeRinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear, at least 30–60 seconds. Add the rinsed rice to the greased casserole dish along with the remaining 1 3/4 cups water. Pour the white sauce over the rice and stir to combine. Nestle the seared chicken pieces on top — they will sink in slightly. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes. Increase the oven to 400°F and bake a final 20–30 minutes, until the chicken is deeply browned and the rice is tender and bubbly at the edges. Rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.