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Baked Tuscan Chicken Casserole

Baked Tuscan chicken casserole with golden, bone-in chicken thighs and a sun-dried tomato, spinach Parmesan cream sauce that bubbles into a thick, silky pool. An easy Italian casserole-style one dish dinner with visible tomato and herb pieces in every bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika to taste
sauce and aromatics
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic, minced cloves
  • 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
  • 2 cups baby spinach
garnish
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and season the chicken
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F, then set a large oven-safe skillet aside for searing and baking.
  2. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika, coating all sides.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat olive oil in the oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, then place chicken skin-side down and sear 6-7 minutes until deeply golden.
  2. Flip the chicken and sear 3 more minutes, then remove to a plate.
Build the Parmesan cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Pour in chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  3. Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes until the mixture looks smooth and glossy.
Bake until the chicken is done
  1. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up and bake uncovered for 20-22 minutes at 400°F until the chicken reaches 165°F and the casserole is bubbling.
  2. Stir baby spinach into the sauce until wilted, leaving spinach streaks throughout the creamy base.
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot, with the golden chicken and thickened sauce pooled around it.

Notes

Pro tip: Use an oven-safe skillet with good searing surface—browned bits from the chicken make the sauce taste deeper. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a covered oven-safe dish until warmed through. Freezing: yes, freeze up to 2 months, then thaw and reheat—spinach may soften further. Dietary swap: for a lighter version, replace half the heavy cream with evaporated milk and use part-skim Parmesan.