Chicken and Rice Casserole

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 8 oz. bone-in chicken breast, skinned
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 14 oz. can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tbs. butter
• 1 8 oz. zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1 8 oz. yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• 1½ Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups 2% milk
• ½ cup (2 oz.) grated pecorino Romano cheese, divided
• ¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray, then add the onions and sauté them until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, skinned side down, and cook until browned. Turn the chicken over, add the broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth, and set it aside until it is cool enough to handle.

Bring the broth to a boil, and boil until it is reduced to ½ cup, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bones, shred it, and place it in a large bowl. (Discard the bones.) Add the reduced broth to the bowl with the chicken.

Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in the saucepan. Add the zucchini and the yellow squash and sauté until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the squash, the rice, and the thyme to the chicken and broth in the bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Add the flour to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk, until smooth. Bring to a boil and continue stirring until thick. Remove from the heat and add ¼ cup of the cheese, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add the milk mixture, the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper and the salt to the chicken mixture in the bowl, stir gently to combine.

Spray a broiler-safe, 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon the casserole into the dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheese. Place it in the preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and preheat the broiler. Broil the casserole until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes.