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One pan meals are my absolute favorite thing to make for weeknight dinners or a cozy Saturday night in. The thing is, one pan meals don’t need to be boring. This is a one pan meal have so many layers of flavor but also just feels so warm and cozy. It’s perfect for this time of year to warm up, eat something nourishing, and have a good meal with friends or family. This dish features some of my favorite ingredients, including lemons, butternut squash, chicken and rosemary. Definitely try this one out this season!
One Pan Butternut Squash, Chicken, and Rice Bake Ingredients
Chicken Breast: I originally made this recipe to use chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken thighs as well. I recently made this recipe with chicken thighs and it was delicious. Either way just make sure you’re using boneless chicken.
Shallot & Garlic: Shallot and garlic add so much flavor to this recipe so much sure you don’t skip it. If you don’t typically buy shallots (like me) feel free to use half of a sweet onion instead but I really do love the taste of the shallot in this particular recipe.
Spices: The spices you’ll need for this recipe are salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, thyme and rosemary. You’ll first want to season the chicken before cooking it with the salt, pepper and paprika, then add in the thyme and rosemary after the shallot and garlic.
Broth: You could either use vegetable broth or chicken broth for the one pan butternut squash and rice bake. I really like to use chicken bone broth for this one because you can get even more protein from it. I love Kettle and Fire bone broth!
Lemon: Adding the lemon juice to the skillet before putting it in the oven is so important and probably holds most of the flavor of the entire dish once it’s baked. If you want an ever stronger lemon taste, feel free to add some lemon zest as well.
Coconut Milk: Incorporating some coconut milk into the dish adds creaminess without the dairy, but if you’re looking for a substitution you could definitely use some light cream as well. You could also use unflavored oat milk or nut milk as well.
Rice: The last step before adding the skillet to the oven is to add uncooked rice and mix it into the other ingredients to completely cover it in liquid. The rice will fully cook in the oven and once it’s done, you can fluff it up before enjoying.
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ONE PAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH, CHICKEN, & RICE BAKE
3-4
servings15
minutes30
minutesGluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free
One pan meals are my absolute favorite thing to make for weeknight dinners or a cozy Saturday night in. The thing is, one pan meals don’t need to be boring. This is a one pan meal have so many layers of flavor but also just feels so warm and cozy. It’s perfect for this time of year to warm up, eat something nourishing, and have a good meal with friends or family. This dish features some of my favorite ingredients, including lemons, butternut squash, chicken and rosemary. Definitely try this one out this season!
Ingredients
2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 + 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary + 2-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken broth or bone broth + water as needed
juice of 1 lemon (~1/4 cup)
1 15oz can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup white rice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn a stovetop burner on and heat the oil over medium heat on a large skillet.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then season generously with the salt, back pepper and smoked paprika.
- Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and cook for about five minutes on each side, until crisp and brown. Once the chicken is browned, remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped shallot and garlic and cook for a few minutes in the oil from the chicken, until aromatic. Add in the thyme and rosemary and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the cubed butternut squash and mix to combine it with the shallot and garlic. Let it get slightly crisp in the pan by cooking for 5-10 minutes, then add the rice and toast for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, lemon juice, coconut milk, and rice. Mix to incorporate. If the rice is not covered in liquid, add water to cover it.
- Place the chicken on top of the rice, top with fresh rosemary, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 15-30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.
- For best results, serve immediately by scooping out the absorbed rice and placing the chicken on top. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.
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Suggestions for cooking this without a cast iron skillet? I have a ceramic dutch oven or a deep stainless steel sauté pan (oven safe).
Any oven safe skillet will work for this!
Should the skillet be covered or uncovered when placed in the oven?
Uncovered!
What can I substitute coconut milk for? We like dairy. Heavy cream?
Regular cream will work!
Do you soak your rice before using it ?
No I don’t!
Should the butternut squash be cooked prior to making with the other ingredients?
Nope! You can add it in uncooked as long as it is cut into small cubes.
Can you use brown rice instead? Will that change cooking time?
Yes, you can use brown rice but it will change the cooking time to be a bit longer and you’ll also need about 1/2 cup extra liquid since it’s a more dense rice.
I’m confused – the instructions above the ingredient list states to bake it for 30-40 minutes, but the instructions below the ingredients say 15-30. Which is correct?
Sorry about that mixup, I just fixed that! The instructions below the ingredients are correct. I hope you love it!