CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

Creamy Lemon Chicken and Rice Casserole image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 14

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4 bone in skin on chicken thighs (we used 3 large ones here but 4 smaller ones are great as well. )
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp lemon zest (separated)
kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10.2 oz cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup long grain white rice
2 cloves of garlic (grated or minced)
1 lemon (sliced into rounds)
thinly sliced basil (for garnish, optional)

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 11 x 8 baking dish (or one of similar size).
In a large shallow bowl, combine flour with the parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and ½ of the lemon zest. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly with a fork. Dredge each piece of chicken on all sides with flour mixture. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until shimmering but not smoking. Add chicken skin side down, and sear until golden, 6 minutes. Flip and cook until the opposite side is golden, around 6 minutes more. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Stir together the soup, water, rice, garlic, and remaining lemon zest in your prepared baking dish. Place the chicken on the rice mixture and layer lemon slices over the top of each piece. Cover the baking dish.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is done and the rice is tender. To develop a deeper color, uncover the dish for the last 5-10 minutes of baking. Sprinkle on the sliced basil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir the rice and season to taste before serving.