Cheesy Garlic Chicken and Tomato Casserole
Crispy bacon, seared chicken, and toasty garlic and tomato rice all baked under a blanket of melty cheese. Pure comfort in one dish. Yum!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 9 whole bacon slices, cut into ¼ inch squares (cut ¼ inch wide strips, then into ¼ inch long squares)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups baby bella mushrooms, diced
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1½ tbsp dried thyme
- 5 whole garlic cloves, minced and divided (2 for the pan, 3 for the garlic butter)
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (or half cheddar, half gouda or havarti)
- 2 medium regular tomatoes, sliced, then evenly sprinkled with salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, optional/as needed for sautéing
- ¼ cup butter, melted (plus at least 2 tbsp for cooking)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- 1
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- 2
Fry the bacon bits
Add all of the bacon squares to a large unheated frying pan, then set it over medium heat. As the pan heats up, the slow cooking melts and extracts the bacon fat, leaving you with pure flavor for cooking the rest of the ingredients. Leave the bacon untouched until the pan is up to full temperature and the bacon has had several minutes to get some color on the bottom. Stir every now and then so the bacon doesn't stick to the pan, until the bits are crispy and a beautiful rusty brown. The grease will start fizzing and almost look like suds once the bacon is about ready. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, letting as much grease drain back into the pan as possible with each scoop, and set it aside in a glass container. There should be plenty of grease left for frying in the next step. You only need enough to cover the bottom of the pan, so if there is too much, remove the excess and keep it close by to add more as needed between batches.
- 3
Sear the chicken
In the same pan, cook the chicken cubes in batches, placing them in one even layer with some space between each piece (tongs work well for this). If you overlap the pieces or overcrowd the pan, the chicken will steam rather than sear, releasing all of its liquid and turning dry and bland. You may want to turn the heat up slightly, to more medium high than medium, to more quickly achieve the Maillard reaction (browning/carmelization that creates deep flavor). After you place the pieces in the pan, let them sit for about 30 seconds until they get some golden brown color on the outside, then flip to brown the other side. You do not want to cook the chicken all the way through. This step just sears the outside, which leads to more flavorful and tender chicken in the end. Set the pieces aside in an open bowl and continue with the remaining batches until all the chicken is seared.
- 4
Sauté the onions and mushrooms
Turn the heat back down to medium, then add 2 tbsp of butter and the diced onion to the same pan. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook, tossing periodically, until the onions begin to soften and turn translucent or golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the diced mushrooms. Mushrooms contain a lot of water, so they need to cook long enough to release all of it. Sprinkle them evenly with salt to help draw out the water, then toss with the onions. Stir periodically until all the water has released and evaporated and the mushrooms have begun to sear and brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- 5
Cook the tomatoes, rice, and garlic butter
Add the halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add the thyme. Let them sit, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes begin to blister and soften. Add 2 cloves of the minced garlic and stir to incorporate. Add the rice and let it toast on the bottom of the pan as much as possible, stirring frequently, until it starts to turn more golden, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and give everything a stir, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the rice is mostly cooked. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed before removing from the heat. While the rice cooks, melt the ¼ cup of butter in a small pot over medium low heat. Once melted, remove it from the heat and add the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic. Swirl so the garlic is evenly dispersed, then set aside.
- 6
Assemble the casserole
Turn off the heat and transfer the contents of the large pan to a casserole dish, along with the seared chicken, half of the shredded cheese, and half of the bacon bits. Stir until everything is thoroughly mixed and cheesy. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, arrange the seasoned tomato slices in an even layer, then use a spoon to drizzle the garlic butter over everything. Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits on top.
- 7
Bake and broil
Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Switch the oven to broil for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Remove from the oven and enjoy.
Notes
- If using fresh thyme instead of dried, use 2 tbsp, and don't add till after the rice has been cooked.
- Made in a large 9x13 casserole dish. If you halve the recipe, adjust accordingly.