Go Back

Baked Tuscan Chicken Casserole

Baked Tuscan chicken casserole with golden chicken thighs in a sun-dried tomato and spinach Parmesan cream sauce. The oven bake creates a bubbling, silky sauce with browned Parmesan edges and visible herb-and-tomato pieces.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 0.5 Salt to taste
  • 0.5 pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
  • 0.25 tsp smoked paprika to taste
Sear and sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced 4 cloves
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
Finish
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 0.25 Fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, then season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
  2. Set a large oven-safe skillet or braiser ready for searing so the chicken can go straight from stovetop to oven.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat the olive oil in the oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and place the chicken skin-side down in the pan.
  2. Sear for 6-7 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and sear for 3 more minutes, and remove the chicken to a plate.
Build the Tuscan cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the minced garlic and sliced sun-dried tomatoes for 1 minute until fragrant and glossy.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes until the sauce looks smooth and starts to thicken slightly.
Bake and finish
  1. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up and transfer to the oven, baking uncovered for 20-22 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F with visible browning on top.
  2. Stir the baby spinach into the sauce until wilted and the sauce looks like a cohesive pool around the chicken.
  3. Garnish with fresh basil and serve while the sauce is bubbling.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the sun-dried tomatoes well so the sauce thickens instead of turning watery. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently until steaming (microwave or low oven). Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can break and the spinach texture changes. For a lighter option, use half-and-half in place of the heavy cream (the sauce will be thinner, but still flavorful).