Spicy Coconut Chicken Casserole

Another Everyday Food recipe, this one for Spicy Coconut Chicken Casserole, a one-pot weeknight meal:


Sometimes I find Everyday Food recipes to be a little bland, but this one was excellent. I'm sure it had something to do with the copious amount of Thai red curry paste I added. The only modification I made was to use split chicken breasts instead of chicken legs. The chicken stayed moist during the cooking process, one of the perks of cooking meat still on the bone. The flavors of the coconut milk and curry paste were fantastic and the crunch from the green beans and red peppers was a great contrast to the juicy meat.

Our only complaint was that the rice (I used basmati instead of jasmine since I always have it on hand) got mushy from overcooking, which is one of the drawbacks to cooking everything in the same pot. Still, I am loving the one-pot/one-skillet recipes. Less cleanup and so much easier to deal with on a weeknight. One note - if you make this recipe it's imperative that you squeeze some fresh lemon juice over each serving before eating. The citrus really makes the flavors in the casserole pop. We both agreed it wouldn't have been nearly as good a meal without the lemon.

Spicy Coconut Chicken Casserole
Everyday Food

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 whole chicken legs (about 3 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) light coconut milk
1 1/2 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 to 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
1 cup jasmine rice
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces green beans (stem ends removed), cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in two batches, cook chicken until browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate (chicken will cook more in step 2).

To pot, add coconut milk, broth, 1/2 cup water, and curry paste; bring to a boil, and stir in rice. Add chicken (with any juices), arranging pieces in a single layer. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, without stirring, until rice is almost tender, 15 minutes.

Scatter bell peppers and green beans on top of chicken mixture; cover, and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.