Fancy Chicken and Rice Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). While you wait, season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper and herbs de Provence seasoning.
2. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more olive oil if needed after every batch if needed. If the chicken is cooking correctly, this will not be necessary. Please note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned on both sides. Remove chicken pieces from the pan and set aside in a bowl with paper towels.
3. In the same sauté pan lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.
4. Raise heat in the pan to medium high and add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them with no additional butter or oil, allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly and release some of their moisture. Then add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.
5. Add the dry white wine to the pan and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Since I use a nonstick pan there are never any bits. Let the wine reduce to about 1 tablespoon then add the chicken stock, and remove pan from heat.
6. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cream, and the sour cream and mix until well blended and smooth looking.
7. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the cream mixture over the rice. Add all of the fresh herbs and the paprika. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, herb mixture so that everything is evenly distributed in the casserole dish.
8. Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture in a single layer if you can. Don’t panic they will be crowded. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes uncovered. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more until the excess liquid has evaporated away. This dish usually takes about 50 minutes in my oven. The chicken should be a safe 165 F by then.
9. Enjoy!