Baked Chicken and Rice with Broccoli

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs (either boneless skinless (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds) or bone-in, skin-on (2 1/2-3 pounds))
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or dry white wine)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk (dairy or plant based)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped or grated)
• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets (10 ounces)
• 1 cup arborio rice (or other short grain white rice)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or other dried herb blend)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400 (200 C) degrees.

2. 2

   Season the chicken generously on both sides with the salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Put the butter and olive oil in a large (3-4 quart) skillet or saute pan and place over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and begins to bubble, add the chicken thighs to the pan. Cook until they're golden on one side, 3-5 minutes. Flip them over and cook one more minute. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

4. 4

   Pour the lemon juice or wine into the pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits away from the bottom of the pan while the liquid comes to a boil.

5. 5

   Stir in the onions and garlic to the pan and cook about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth, milk, dried herbs, and add 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer. The milk may curdle at this point if you're using lemon juice, but that's okay.

6. 6

   Add the broccoli to the boiling broth and cook one minute. Turn off the heat. Add the rice and ½ cup of the cheese and gently stir them in. Nestle the chicken pieces in the pan, adding in any juices that collected on the plate.

7. 7

   Transfer the pan to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the rice is absorbed, 25-30 minutes. If you're using bone-in chicken, bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan over the chicken and serve.