Herbed Chicken Meatballs in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot, add the rice and a pinch (a quarter) of the salt, cover and simmer on low for 18 minutes; rest off the heat, covered.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, two-thirds of the parsley, half the garlic, half the thyme, half the remaining salt and half the black pepper. Roll into about 20 balls and set on the sheet pan; brush with one-third of the olive oil.
4. Bake the meatballs 15 to 18 minutes, until browned and 165°F (74°C) in the center.
5. While they bake, heat half of the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook 8 minutes until browned. Add the remaining garlic and remaining thyme and cook 1 minute.
6. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the chicken broth and simmer 4 minutes until thickened. Stir in the sour cream off the heat and season with half of the remaining salt and the remaining black pepper.
7. Add the baked meatballs to the mushroom sauce and turn to coat; warm 2 minutes over low heat.
8. For the salad, toss the romaine, cherry tomatoes and cucumber with the lemon juice, the last of the olive oil and the last of the salt.
9. Serve the meatballs and sauce over the rice, scattered with the remaining parsley, with the salad on the side.