Get more flavor, less stress, and a few kitchen opinions – served hot.
I love the “fresh start” feeling that comes with fall. It’s the perfect time to reset, dust off good habits that slipped during summer, and try some new ones. Food is often part of that reset, whether it’s streamlining dinner or adding a new dish to the rotation.
My feed has been full of one-pan meal ideas lately. They always look dreamy but sometimes fall flat in flavor. And I’m a big “cook once, eat leftovers” fan and if the dish is missing the flavor punch…eating those leftovers can feel like a chore. Luckily, I can call in Chef Jeremy to take those simple recipes and add the FLAVOR.
📢 Incoming Opinion: When Two Pans Are Better Than One
One-pan meals always sound magical, but in my kitchen they usually mean an overflowing pan, mushy veggies, underdone meat, and ironically, a bigger mess on the counter. The whole point was supposed to be less stress, right?
That’s why I’ll happily wash an extra pan. The minute it takes to clean is a bargain compared to cooking in a cramped dish and stressing over doneness. For this recipe, I cooked the rice separately. It was perfectly done, easier to portion for leftovers, and left more room in the casserole dish for the protein and fiber ingredients. Less stress and better food? Sign me up!
Enter this Easy-Cheesy Bake. It’s warm, packed with flavor, and comes together with minimal effort. I even pulled it off with my 1- and 3-year-olds playing ‘chase’ in the kitchen…so if I can manage it, anyone can. (Don’t miss my Bonus Tips at the bottom)
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole with Cherry Tomatoes, and Pesto
Ingredients (6 servings):
- 3 cups (24 ounces) Chicken Stock, divided
- 1 cup Brown Rice, uncooked
- 1 1/2 pounds Chicken Breast, cut in bite-size pieces
- 1 head Broccoli, cut in bite-size pieces (frozen works too)
- 1 container Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
- ½ cup Pesto
- ¾ cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- Hot sauce and extra Parmesan, for serving
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook the rice: in a saucepan, bring 2 cups stock to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer until cooked, about 15 minutes.
- In a 9×13” pan, mix chicken, broccoli, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper flakes. Pour 1 cup stock over the mixture, then spoon pesto on top. Sprinkle with Cheddar and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165°F. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes to crisp the top.
- Option to serve with hot sauce (Cholula is my go-to) and extra Parmesan.
Bonus Tips:
- Double it up: This dish is perfect for leftovers! I made a double batch in the casserole dish and baked the veggie/meat mixture for about 20 more minutes. I doubled the rice too.
- Use a thermometer: I can’t tell you how much kitchen stress I’ve removed from my life since getting an internal meat thermometer. It’s amazing! I’m no longer shining a flashlight on my chicken questioning….is that pink?
- Get flavor packed (and more nutrient-dense) rice: Cook it in stock instead of water. If you’ve never tried this, your tastebuds will thank you.
- Make it your own:
- Swap in other veggies (cauliflower or Brussels sprouts would be awesome)
- Try wild rice or black/forbidden rice
- Make it vegetarian with veggie stock and root vegetables
- Skip the dairy and use nutritional yeast instead
Here’s to more perfectly cooked leftovers, Amanda