Go Back

Baked Tuscan Chicken Casserole

Baked Tuscan chicken casserole with golden-browned chicken thighs in a sun-dried tomato and spinach Parmesan cream sauce. An easy Italian one-dish dinner baked until the sauce turns into a silky, bubbling pool with visible tomato and herb pieces.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • garlic powder to taste
  • Italian seasoning to taste
  • smoked paprika to taste
Tuscan cream sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 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
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Spinach and garnish
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and season
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and set out a large oven-safe skillet or braiser for later. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika until evenly coated.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the chicken skin-side down for 6-7 minutes until deeply golden, and then flip and sear 3 more minutes.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside while you build the sauce.
Make the Parmesan cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
  2. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, cooking just until the mixture looks smooth and thickened.
Bake until cooked through
  1. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up, nestling it into the sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered for 20-22 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F, with the top visibly golden and the sauce bubbling at the edges.
Wilt spinach and finish
  1. Stir the baby spinach into the sauce until wilted and bright green. Garnish with fresh basil and serve while the casserole is hot and the sauce forms a silky pool around the chicken.

Notes

Pro tip: If your sauce looks thin after baking, simmer it in the skillet on the stovetop for 2-3 minutes to thicken before serving. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered oven-safe dish at 325°F until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can break. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and use slightly less to keep the sauce thick.