Chicken on Sunday

This Sunday version takes a few minutes on the stove and a while in the oven, but the results are a creamy healthy rice, perfectly cooked vegetables and browned crispy skin. An updated version of my grandmother's chicken on Sunday recipe. The idea was you could get this in the oven, leave for church and come back to eat. I wouldn't suggest that, but it's kinda fun to think about.

All nutrition facts are AI generated and approximate.

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs
• 1 (10–12 oz) Broccoli florets steamer
• 4 Tbs neutral cooking oil, divided
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 Tbs lemon juice

Directions

1. Microwave broccoli according to package directions and pour into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
2. Add 2 Tbs oil to a large skillet and sauté onions, celery, and Italian seasoning until onion appears translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add rice to the pan with vegetables and sauté for about 3 minutes or until rice starts to lightly brown.
4. Add contents of skillet to the glass dish. Stir in salt, pepper, lemon juice, soup, and two soup cans worth of water.
5. Add 2 more Tbs of oil to the skillet. Brown chicken thighs on both sides.
6. Place chicken thighs on top of rice mixture.
7. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray and tightly cover the glass dish.
8. Bake at 350°F for 1 ½ hours.

Notes

• Toast the rice: Sautéing it with the vegetables until lightly browned adds nutty flavor.
• Cover tightly: Sprayed foil seals in steam so the rice cooks through evenly.
• Brown the thighs: Searing first gives color and renders fat that seasons the rice.
• Mind the liquid: Two soup-cans of water sets the right ratio for the basmati.
• Hands-off bake: It bakes 1½ hours at 350°F—perfect for a relaxed Sunday.

Why This Works

• Toasting the rice: Browning the grains before baking adds nutty depth and helps them stay separate.
• Sealed steam: Tight foil traps moisture so the rice cooks fully and turns creamy.
• Browning the thighs: Searing builds flavor and renders fat that drips down to season the rice.
• Cream soup binder: The soup thickens the liquid into a rich, creamy sauce as it bakes.