Chicken Kiev Garlic Herb Casserole (Printable)
Baked chicken with garlic-herb butter, creamy sauce, and crispy panko topping. Comfort food at its best.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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
# Directions:
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, chopped parsley, dill, lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper. Blend until all ingredients are evenly incorporated and set aside.
03 - Distribute the bite-sized chicken pieces in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the garlic-herb butter mixture over the chicken, spacing them evenly to ensure flavor distribution throughout the dish.
05 - Pour the heavy cream and chicken broth evenly over the chicken layer. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese across the top.
06 - Evenly scatter the shredded mozzarella cheese over the surface for an additional layer of richness and melt.
07 - In a small bowl, toss the panko breadcrumbs with melted butter and dried thyme or parsley until evenly coated. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture uniformly over the casserole.
08 - Bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is deep golden brown and the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165°F.
09 - Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to settle before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It captures everything you love about Chicken Kiev without the fussy rolling and frying process.
- The garlic herb butter melts into the cream sauce and makes its own gravy right in the pan.
02 -
- Do not substitute the butter with oil in the herb mixture because you need it to solidify slightly and coat each piece of chicken as it bakes.
- Letting the casserole rest is not optional since the sauce needs those few minutes to settle or it will be soupy on the plate.
03 -
- Pound the chicken pieces to roughly the same thickness before baking so nothing dries out while thicker pieces are still cooking.
- For the crispiest topping possible, do not press the panko down when you sprinkle it on because you want those air pockets to toast up golden.