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French Style Chicken Casserole

A delicious one-pan French style chicken casserole with creamy sauce, tart apples, and juicy chicken that creates a comforting and flavorful meal.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: French
Calories: 600
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 4 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs total)
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups when sliced)
  • 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (about 4-5 sprigs stripped; dried works in a pinch, use 1 tsp)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Pat chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
  3. Heat a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat and melt the butter until foaming but not browned.
Cooking
  1. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, to the skillet, ensuring not to crowd the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes until beautifully caramelized and golden.
  2. Flip and brown the other side for about 3 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate.
  3. In the same skillet, add your sliced onions and apples. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until softened and sweet.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up all the tasty browned bits from the pan bottom.
  5. Nestle the browned chicken thighs back into the skillet, skin-side up, tucking them into the apple-onion mixture.
  6. Slowly pour the heavy cream over everything. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
  7. Transfer the entire skillet to your preheated oven. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the cream is bubbling gently around the edges and the chicken registers 165°F (74°C) at its thickest part.
  8. Once done, let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Pair with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave.