bleu baked chicken and rice

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 chicken thighs
• 1 1/2 cups blue cheese dressing (such as ken's®)
• cooking spray (such as pam®)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 stalks celery, chopped and leaves reserved
• 1/3 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups white rice
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons red vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning blend (such as tony chachere's®), or to taste
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan-romano cheese blend

Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 55 mins Ready Time: 5 hrs 10 mins


• place chicken thighs in a large resealable bag; pour in blue cheese dressing. coat chicken with dressing, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours to overnight.
• preheat oven to 420 degrees f (216 degrees c). spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir celery in the hot oil for 1 minute. add onion; cook and stir until onion is glossy and softened, about 5 minutes. stir in garlic; cook for 30 seconds. transfer onion mixture to the prepared baking dish; return skillet to burner.
• pour remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil into the skillet; cook and stir rice in the hot oil until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• mix chicken broth, rice, and vinegar into the onion mixture in the baking dish. remove chicken from marinade and arrange in the baking dish, creating 2 rows of chicken thighs side by side. discard remaining marinade. sprinkle each chicken thigh with seasoning. coat chicken thighs with 1 cup panko crumbs. cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
• bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. remove aluminum foil from dish. mince the reserved celery leaves. sprinkle chicken thighs with remaining 1/2 cup panko crumbs and parmesan-romano cheese; sprinkle minced celery leaves over chicken.
• continue to bake chicken until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 10 more minutes. an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees f (74 degrees c).
• turn on the oven's broiler and broil chicken until browned and crisp, 1 to 3 minutes. remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.