Chicken Kiev Casserole (Printer-friendly)
Baked chicken with garlic-herb butter, creamy sauce, and crispy golden panko topping.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
→ Garlic-Herb Butter
02 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
05 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped (optional)
06 - 1 tsp lemon juice
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
→ Sauce & Dairy
09 - 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
10 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Breadcrumb Topping
12 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
14 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme or parsley
→ Extras
15 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
16 - Nonstick cooking spray or oil for greasing
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or oil.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, parsley, dill if using, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Blend until fully incorporated and set aside.
03 - Distribute chicken pieces evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish in a single layer.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the garlic-herb butter mixture over the chicken pieces, spacing them evenly.
05 - Pour heavy cream and chicken broth evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese across the top.
06 - If desired, scatter shredded mozzarella over the surface for an additional cheesy layer.
07 - In a small bowl, toss panko breadcrumbs with melted butter and dried thyme or parsley until evenly coated. Sprinkle the mixture uniformly over the casserole.
08 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The garlic herb butter melts right into the cream sauce and creates the richest flavor with almost no effort.
- It feeds six people from one baking dish and leaves you with barely any cleanup.
02 -
- Do not skip the resting time or the sauce will run everywhere and you will lose all that creamy texture you built.
- Cutting the chicken into uniform pieces is the single most important thing you can do to avoid dry, overcooked bits next to undercooked ones.
03 -
- Let the butter truly come to room temperature before mixing or the garlic and herbs will not distribute evenly and you will get clumpy pockets.
- Toasting the panko lightly in a dry skillet before mixing with melted butter gives the topping an even deeper crunch that holds up under the cream.