Chicken Kiev Casserole (Printable)
Tender chicken baked with garlic-herb butter, creamy sauce, and crispy golden panko topping for a comforting family dinner.
# 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
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 butter, melted
14 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme or parsley
→ Extras
15 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - Nonstick cooking spray or oil for greasing
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or oil.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, parsley, dill, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Set aside.
03 - Distribute the 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 the heavy cream and chicken broth evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese on top.
06 - Scatter the shredded mozzarella cheese over the casserole for an optional extra layer of richness.
07 - In a small bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter and dried thyme or parsley. Sprinkle the mixture evenly across the top of 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 the oven and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- That garlic herb butter melts right into the cream sauce and creates something you will want to pour over everything.
- It feeds six people with almost zero prep work and still feels like you went out of your way.
02 -
- Do not skip the resting step because the sauce needs those few minutes to come together and stop being soupy.
- Make sure the chicken pieces are roughly the same size or the small ones will dry out before the large ones finish cooking.
03 -
- Take the butter out of the fridge at least an hour before you start so it blends smoothly with the garlic and herbs.
- Broil the top for the last two minutes if you want an extra crackly crust but watch it like a hawk because it goes from golden to burnt in seconds.