Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe
This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole features tender chicken, broccoli, and rice in a delicious homemade creamy cheese sauce. It's comforting, flavorful, and perfect for the whole family. Note: Check out the notes section for all my time-saving tips!
Servings: 8 servings
Cost: $10
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ pounds chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Rice
- 1½ cups white rice
- water or chicken broth
- pinch of salt
For the Broccoli
- 5 cups fresh broccoli cut into small florets
For the Sauce and Topping
- 4 tablespoon butter divided
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk 2% or whole milk; at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoon cream cheese softened
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup butter crackers (such as Ritz) crushed
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Transfer the chicken breasts to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 155-165°F with a digital thermometer. Remove from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes before chopping or shredding. See notes (1).
- Boil a large pot of water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. We will need this in step 4.
- Cook the rice (to al dente). Thoroughly rinse the rice in several changes of clean water. Add the rice to a medium saucepan with 1-2 teaspoons of salt and enough water that the rice is covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then immediately cover and reduce the heat to low. Check the progress of the rice every 2-3 minutes by pressing a few grains between your fingers. You know it's ready when it squishes apart. Drain any remaining liquid from the rice and rinse with cool water (to stop the rice from cooking further), then drain again. Transfer back to the pot and set aside. See notes (2)
- Blanch the broccoli. Add the broccoli florets to the pot of boiling water. Blanch (boil) for 2-3 minutes, careful not to overcook. Drain, then immediately transfer to a large bowl filled with ice water (ice bath) to stop cooking. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside. See notes (3)
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a large baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large pan (with high sides) over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 6-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook for an additional 30-60 seconds, stirring continuously. See notes (4)
- Make the sauce. Melt two more tablespoons of butter in the pan and then sprinkle with flour (this will make the roux). Whisk continuously to combine. Still whisking, add the milk slowly. Continue to whisk until thickened and bubbly (do not boil). Remove from heat and add the Dijon mustard, softened cream cheese, and one cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until combined and the cheese has melted. See notes (5&6)
- Assemble: Transfer the prepared chicken, broccoli, and rice to the pan and mix well to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to your prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese and crushed buttery crackers over the top (if using).
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly around the edges and the cheese is lightly browned- if the cheese and cracker topping starts to burn, loosely tent the baking dish with foil.
- Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
(1) To save time, use pre-cooked chopped or shredded chicken. This can be any chicken, including leftover baked chicken breasts, precooked and shredded chicken, grilled chicken, or rotisserie chicken. You will need approximately 3 cups of cooked shredded or cubed chicken.
(2) Avoid overcooking the rice, as it will be "twice-cooked" when mixed in the homemade cream sauce. To save time, use leftover cooked rice or frozen and thawed rice. You will need about 4-5 cups of cooked rice.
(3) Blanching the broccoli preserves its vibrant green color and maintains its texture, preventing it from becoming overcooked and mushy.
(4) Customize: This is a great point to decide if you want to include additional seasonings like Cajun seasoning, Ranch seasoning, Italian seasoning, or a pinch or two of garlic powder and onion powder. It's also at this point that you'd add additional vegetables like mushrooms.
(5) The cream cheese should be brought to room temperature before adding it to the cream sauce. Adding cold cream cheese (or any dairy) to the hot, simmering sauce may cause the cheese to curdle.
(6) For best results and to prevent weird separation, shred your cheese directly from a block rather than using store-bought pre-shredded cheese.
Leftovers: Keep leftovers stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze before baking. Cover tightly and bake within 2 months.
Originally published November 18, 2019
Nutrition
Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 940mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1071IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 359mg | Iron: 2mg
