Guys! I’m not sure how to start this one. I’m on the couch trying to come out of my skillet rice bake coma. I have been wanting to test these broccoli cheddar chicken meatballs which ended up being absolute PERFECTION! They were full of flavor and loaded with vitamins with the addition of the broccoli. They turned out so juicy and tender as they baked right with the rice and soaked in all the flavor from the cheesy stock. I toasted the rice in some butter with caramelized shallots and added more broccoli to the rice along with some extra cheddar cheese. I couldn’t have imagined this skillet to turn out any better than it did. It was so easy to throw together also! Just 30 minutes in the oven to this D to the LISH one skillet dinner! Everything you need is right in one pan! That’s my kind of weeknight dinner option. Give it a try. It’s perfect for back to school season as you can prep quite a bit of this in the morning before you need to assemble at dinner time! Enjoy!
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Meatball Skillet Rice Bake
4
servings20
minutes35
minutesIngredients
*For the Chicken Meatballs*
1 lb 1 93% Lean Ground Chicken
1/4 cup 1/4 Bread Crumb
1 1 Egg
1 cup 1 Broccoli Florets, Steamed & Chopped
1/2 cup 1/2 Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated
1/2 tsp 1/2 Salt
1/2 tsp 1/2 Pepper
1/2 tsp 1/2 Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 Onion Powder
1/4 cup 1/4 Flour
2 Tbsp 2 Canola Oil
*For the Broccoli Cheddar Skillet Rice*
1 1 Shallot, Diced
2 Tbsp 2 Butter
1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 Jasmine Rice
1 1/2-2 cups 1 1/2-2 Fresh Broccoli Florets
3 cups 3 Chicken Stock
1 cup 1 Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Freshly Grated
1/2 Tbsp 1/2 Fresh Thyme Leaves
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
More Sharp Cheddar Cheese for Topping
Directions
- To begin, preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, grate 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese directly in the bowl. Add ground chicken, bread crumb, egg, and all seasonings. Mix well
- Preheat your skillet over medium high heat. Add canola oil. While oil is heating, form ground meat mixture into balls and toss in flour in a shallow bowl
- Place meatballs in skillet and fry on both sides just until browned, but not cooked through. Remove meatballs from skillet and place on a plate
- In same skillet, add diced shallot and sauté until starting to caramelize. Add butter and melt into shallots
- Add rice and toast for a couple minutes, then add broccoli florets. Stir well and add chicken stock. Stir to combine
- Add cheddar cheese and stir until starting to melt into stock. Once your cheese is melted in nicely add fresh thyme and pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir well
- Add chicken meatballs back into the skillet. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Once done, remove lid and top with more cheddar cheese. Add skillet back to oven without the lid and melt cheese for 3-4 minutes, just until gooey and D to the LISH! It’s time to DIVE IN!
Notes
- To make this dinner super easy on a busy weeknight, grate your cheese, prep your meatballs and dice your shallot in the morning before work. Assembling the dinner when you get home will be effortless and so much easier! I like to prep meatballs in the morning and place them on a sheet tray, cover them and store in the fridge for the day. Doing that, allows the flavors to really absorb in the meat. I’m a fan of prepping as much as I can in advance to make it easier on myself later.
- This recipe works best if you use freshly grated cheese. The pre shredded cheese has additives that hinder it from melting as well as the fresh grated will. I’m not saying you can’t use pre shredded cheese, I’m just giving you a fair warning that I’m not guaranteeing the melting performance of said cheese…LOL!