Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs and Rice

Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs and Rice 6 skinless bone-in chicken thighs 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or any other dried herbs of your choice 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste 4 tablespoons butter 1 yellow onion, diced 4 large cloves garlic, minced 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice 1-1/2 cups low-sodium, fat free chicken broth 1-1/2 cups hot water 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano chopped fresh parsley, for garnish Preheat oven to 350F. Season chicken thighs with paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; set aside. Add butter to a large oven-safe skillet and melt over medium heat. Stir in diced onions and garlic; cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until garlic is lightly browned, stirring VERY frequently. DO NOT burn the garlic. Stir in rice; stir constantly for 30 seconds. Place prepared chicken pieces over rice, and add the chicken broth and water. Season with Italian Seasoning and oregano, and bring to a boil. (You can also add more salt and pepper at this point, if desired.) Cover skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to preheated oven; bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid or foil and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and fluff up the rice with a fork. Recipe Notes Use bone-in skinless chicken thighs; with skin-on, the dish turns out very greasy. We also want to use bone-in thighs because they will cook in the same time as the rice. White Long Grain Rice, Basmati and Jasmine Rice all work well with this recipe. If you'd like to use brown rice, leave it in the oven, covered, for 45 minutes, then bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked. HOW TO MAKE AHEAD CHICKEN AND RICE To prep couple days in advance, you can simply work up to the 6th step in the recipe, but DO NOT ADD the liquid. Also, make sure that everything is completely cooled down. Cover it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let the dish stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before continuing as directed. Stir in the chicken broth and water right before baking. HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN AND RICE Make sure that the chicken and rice has cooled completely before freezing. Cover the chicken and rice with a double layer of aluminum foil and secure it tightly. Place the casserole in the coldest part of the freezer. NOTE: Some recommend undercooking the casserole a little bit so that the rice stays fluffy after thawing. When ready to use it, remove from the freezer the night before and place it in the refrigerator, all wrapped up, to thaw over night. Remove from fridge and set on the counter for 20 minutes. Reheat in a 350F preheated oven. If the casserole looks dry, you can add liquid to it in increments of a few tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.