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Baked Tuscan Chicken Casserole

This baked Tuscan chicken casserole turns golden chicken thighs into a bubbling one-dish dinner with a silky sun-dried tomato and spinach Parmesan cream sauce. You’ll bake uncovered until the chicken hits 165°F, then wilt spinach into the creamy sauce for visible tomato and herb pieces.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
seasonings
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika to taste
sauce base
  • 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
spinach and finishing
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
Sear and build the sauce
  1. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken skin-side down for 6-7 minutes until deeply golden.
  2. Flip the chicken and sear for 3 more minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and leave the fond in the pan.
  3. Cook the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in the same pan for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, stirring to loosen browned bits.
  4. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Keep stirring until the sauce looks cohesive and starts to thicken.
Bake and finish
  1. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven uncovered and bake for 20-22 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F.
  2. Stir the baby spinach into the sauce until wilted. Let it settle so you see green leaves integrated into the creamy sauce.
  3. Garnish with fresh basil and serve. Spoon the sauce over the chicken so the tomato and herbs show around the thighs.

Notes

Pro tip: drain and slice the sun-dried tomatoes well so they don’t water down the cream sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the cream and Parmesan sauce can separate when thawed. For a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, noting the sauce may be slightly less thick.