Baked Chicken Artichoke Casserole with Mozzarella

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (reserve all leftover marinade)

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized chunks

• 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms (any variety works well)

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon fine salt

• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, kept with their original juice

• 1 (15-ounce) can plain tomato sauce

• ⅓ cup sliced black olives, drained

• ½ cup Madeira wine

• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and set a 9x13-inch baking dish aside.

2. Pour half of the reserved artichoke marinade into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken chunks and cook, turning occasionally, until the chicken is browned all over and nearly all the marinade has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes total. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned chicken to the prepared baking dish.

3. Leave the remaining marinade in the same skillet (no need to wipe it clean between steps) and add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, oregano, basil, salt, rosemary, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion softens and turns translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes (with their juice), tomato sauce, drained black olives, and chopped artichoke hearts, mixing until the sauce is evenly combined. Pour the full sauce mixture over the chicken in the baking dish, then cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

4. Bake the covered casserole for roughly 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling hot through. Uncover the dish, drizzle the Madeira wine evenly over the top, then sprinkle all of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the casserole. Return the uncovered dish to the oven, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and lightly golden at the edges.

5. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving to let the flavors settle.