Chicken-Rice "Paella" Bake with Bell Pepper, Asparagus & Artichoke

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and set up your mise en place for the vegetables and rice.
2. Rinse the rice under cold water in a colander, then drain.
3. Dice the bell peppers and trim the asparagus; set them in a bowl. Peel, halve, and thinly slice the onion, and mince the garlic; add these to the bowl with the peppers and asparagus.
4. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
5. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden on each side, about 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate and keep the skillet handy.
6. Return the skillet to the stove on medium heat, add a little more oil if needed, and cook the vegetables and rice, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 minutes.
7. Pour in the broth and tomato sauce. Stir in the spices, then bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet with any juices, cover tightly with foil or a lid, and transfer to the oven.
8. Bake until the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain the artichoke hearts; roughly chop them.
9. Shave parsley leaves from the stems and mince. Slice lemons into wedges.
10. When everything is cooked, stir in the artichokes and half of the parsley into the skillet; reserve the rest of the parsley for garnish. Serve with lemon wedges.