Personally, a rainy night in is one of my absolute favorite ways to spend an evening. After days and days of beautiful sun, or even a handful of overcast afternoons, one pure evening of rain carries some mysteriously special allure for me. I’m not sure about all of you, but I’m definitely the kind of person who wishes for these torrential conditions, largely because I’m forced to stay inside the comforts of my own home and do all of the things I love.
Either way, hunkering down with a cozy dinner plan, a book you’ve been dying to get into, and a few open windows seems like the perfect plan for those select nights. So, if you’re ever seeing a questionable forecast and are wondering how to make a moment out of it, you’ve come to the right place!
On the menu tonight, we’re bringing one of our all-time favorite comfort food recipes right to your (hopefully) drenched doorstep. Half Baked Harvest blessed us with her Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake, recipe below, and she describes it best – seriously there is nothing better, or easier, than this!
First steps…
Before you get to cooking, though, stop by your favorite local bookstore and snag a new read. I just picked up The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin and plan on diving into it on my next rainy day. It looked great from the description on the back, so if you end up buying that one too, let me know what you think!
Not a big reader? Try a must-see RomCom that you haven’t gotten around to watching! Can’t really go wrong there, right?
Now, with a book/RomCom ready for later, it’s time to get to the good stuff – making the food! One of my favorite parts about this recipe is how much it screams quiet, solo time in the kitchen. You get to zone out, enjoy the night in, and have THE BEST meal to look forward to.
For tunes while you work, I’d recommend pulling out your favorite speaker system (I couldn’t live without my Crosley record player) and listening to some *I’m playing house in my own home* music. Frank Sinatra, Norah Jones, Louis Armstrong, Eartha Kitt…someone along those lines!
Okay, now that the scene is set, let’s get to cooking!
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Equipment
- 1 oven-safe pan or baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 small/medium zucchini, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 1/2 cups basmati or jasmine rice
- 1/2 cup dry orzo pasta (use gluten free if needed)
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 3/4 cup shredded Havarti cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2-4 tbsp Everything Bagel Spice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the zucchini is golden, 5-8 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the skillet and set aside.
- To the skillet, add the remaining oil and the onion. Cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is seared, 2-3 minutes. Add the butter, garlic, rice, orzo, and thyme, and cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the zucchini back to the skillet. Add the cayenne and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is mostly cooked.
- Once the rice is cooked, stir in 1/2 cup of the Havarti and 1/2 cup of the cheddar. If needed, transfer the rice to an oven-safe casserole dish. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of each cheese overtop the casserole.
- Transfer to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Switch the oven to broil and broil 1-2 minutes, until the cheese on top is becoming crispy. Serve warm with Everything Bagel Spice.
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