Chicken and Rice Casserole is a cheesy casserole filled with pieces of chicken, rice, and broccoli, all baked in one dish for a perfect weeknight, or any night, meal.
CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE
Casseroles, or hot dishes as we call them in the midwest, are great meals to make and are usually baked in one pan. Typically in these casserole recipes, you will find meat, potatoes, or some other kind of starch, along with a combination of vegetables, cheese, and canned soup. Well, this Chicken and Rice Casserole checks off all those boxes, as well as the thumbs up box because it is so tasty!
CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE RECIPE
With some basic ingredients and a few seasonings, you can get this casserole in the oven and on the dinner table for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Ingredients (full menu below)
- Cream cheese
- Garlic
- Cayenne pepper
- Thyme
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cream of chicken soup
- Chicken broth
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Broccoli florets
- Instant rice (Minute rice)
- Butter
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Parsley
CHICKEN MIXTURE
The bulk of this recipe is what a casserole is all about–the chicken, rice, vegetables, and canned soup. Of course, we have the cream cheese in the bulk of the dish as well as shredded cheese to top it all off.
To get started, soften the cream cheese in a large bowl by using a fork. Next, add the garlic, cayenne pepper, thyme, salt, pepper, and cans of chicken soup. You could also use cream of mushroom soup, but it may change the flavor a bit. In fact, most creamed soups are interchangeable in casserole recipes. You could even make your own homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup!
After you have blended the cream cheese with the seasonings and soup, stir in the chicken broth. Finally, fold in the cubed chicken, broccoli, and uncooked rice. Pour this mixture into a greased 9×13-inch casserole dish to be baked.
BAKING THE CASSEROLE
Before you bake the casserole, top the chicken mixture with the pats of butter, spreading them out evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the butter. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Broil the casserole for three additional minutes, and remove from the oven. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cans (10.75 ounces each) cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups instant white rice
- 1/2 cup butter, sliced into pats
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F and grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
In a large bowl, soften the cream cheese with a fork.
Add the garlic, cayenne pepper, thyme, salt, pepper, and cream of chicken soup. Mix well.
Stir in the chicken broth.
Fold in the cubed chicken, broccoli, and rice.
Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
Top with pats of butter (evenly spaced) and the shredded cheddar cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.
Broil for three additional minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Top with parsley.
