Preheat your oven to 350°F. While it heats, rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear—this removes excess starch and helps achieve fluffy, separated grains. Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes into about 1/4-inch pieces, grate the parmesan cheese fresh, and roughly chop the basil. Measure out all your spices and have everything ready before you start cooking.

In a large baking dish (9x13 inches or similar), combine the tomato paste with the oregano, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir these together to create a concentrated flavor base—this bloom of spices in the paste helps develop deeper, richer flavors. Add the rinsed rice, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly so the rice is evenly coated with the spice mixture and tomatoes are distributed throughout.

Nestle the 4 chicken breasts directly into the rice mixture, spacing them evenly across the dish—they'll both season the rice and cook through in the oven. Pour the 22 oz of chicken stock over everything, ensuring the rice is mostly submerged. The stock will be absorbed by the rice and infuse it with savory flavor while the chicken cooks.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil, stir the rice gently to redistribute it, and check if the chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature) and the rice is tender. If needed, cover and bake for another 10-20 minutes until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is creamy. I like to let the rice settle for a minute after pulling it from the oven before stirring in the cream—it helps prevent splattering.

Remove the chicken from the dish and set it aside on a cutting board. Pour the room-temperature cream directly into the hot rice and stir gently but thoroughly to create a creamy sauce. Sprinkle the freshly grated parmesan over the rice and stir until it melts completely into the cream. Room-temperature cream prevents the sauce from curdling when it hits the hot rice, and fresh parmesan melts more smoothly than pre-shredded varieties.

Return the chicken breasts to the dish, nestling them back into the creamy rice. Scatter the fresh basil over the top just before serving—this preserves its bright color and fresh flavor rather than cooking it into the dish. Serve family-style or plate individually with a generous portion of the creamy tomato rice and one chicken breast per person.