Cheesy chicken and broccoli rice casserole is cheesy, creamy and totally comforting side dish that is perfect with any meal. Make it for special occasions or simply enjoy for everyday dinner! This rice casserole isn’t boring and dull, it’s jazzed with flavors! Truly a keeper recipe!
Casserole recipes are generally easy to make. Prep everything, dump in casserole and bake! That’s exactly this recipe is about! Prepping for this rice casserole dish might seem a little lengthy and tedious job, but I assure you it’s all the worth it.
There may be a couple of steps involved in prep before you dump everything into the dish, but they are all pretty fast and easy steps to follow. Don’t get intimidated.
Why Try This Chicken Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole Recipe?
- Ever felt that rice casseroles are boring and dull, lacking flavors? Not anymore. We have jazzed up flavors of this casserole recipe. Try it and you’ll agree!
- It’s packed with protein, nutrients and essential carbs.
- It’s cheesy, creamy and totally comforting side dish. Don’t shy from reaching for second and third servings of this rice casserole.
- A perfect side dish for special occasions or gatherings. But why wait for special occasions, go ahead and enjoy it with your family for everyday dinner as well.
- Try once and you’ll be hooked. This dish will easily go up your weekly menu plan chart.
- Crowd pleaser! Kids, adults everyone would love it.
- If you don’t care about making everything from scratch (I did everything from scratch), feel free to use condensed cream of chicken soup (for vegetarians use can of cream of mushroom soup) and use frozen broccoli. It’s convenient to use canned and packed foods.
Ingredients Needed For Broccoli And Rice Casserole
All you need to make this fabulous casserole is shown below:
Note: This recipe instructs you to make everything from scratch. From cheese sauce to using broccoli florets and cooking it instead of pre-cooked frozen broccoli.
If you plan to use canned stuffed you will need can of condensed chicken soup and for vegetarian option – can of cream of mushroom soup.
How To Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (step-by-step pictorial)
Prep:
Clean chicken breast, pat it dry with kitchen paper towel. Cut into small bite size pieces. To the chicken add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Mix well to coat evenly.
Heat olive oil in a pan. Saute chicken pieces until seared on all sides. Don’t completely cook the chicken pieces. Remove seared chicken pieces from the pan into a separate bowl.
Into the same pan add chicken stock (use vegetable stock vegetarian option). Add rice into the boiling water. Reduce flame to low, cover the pan with lid and cook rice until done for about 10-12 minutes(time may vary depending on the pot your use and the type of rice.) Once rice is cooked, remove it into a bowl.
Jo’s Tip: DO NOT USE MINUTE RICE FOR THIS RECIPE!
Rinse broccoli under tap water. Chop into small bite sized pieces. Boil broccoli florets in boiling water for 2 minutes. You want it broccoli to still have a crunch. Don’t cook the broccoli through. Using slotted spatula, transfer immediately half cooked broccoli into a bowl.
Make The Sauce:
Note – skip this step if you are using canned soup in your dish.
Melt butter in a pan. Saute yellow onions until tender.
Add minced garlic and stir for a minute.
Next add flour, dry mustard powder, a pinch of salt and pepper, and remaining cayenne pepper.
Reduce flame to medium low. Keep stirring to cook the flour mix. Make sure you don’t brown or burn the flour.
Slowly pour milk into the flour onion mix while whisking constantly. Pour all the milk and keep stirring. Cook the sauce for few minutes on low flames.
Add cream cheese and half of freshly grated cheddar cheese to the sauce mix. Whisk continuing to cook on low flame until cheese is melted and blended through.
Bake Until Bubbly:
In a large bowl gently stir half cooked broccoli, sautéed chicken, hot cooked rice and cheese sauce until combined. Transfer the mix into a greased ceramic or oven proof glass casserole or baking dish. Spread evenly.
Sprinkle remaining grated cheddar cheese on top.
Jo’s Tip: additionally add ritz cracker or bread crumb topping on top of grated cheese.
Ritz cracker topping – combine crushed ritz cracker with melted butter and sprinkle on top of cheese before baking.
Bread crumb topping-toss fresh soft bread crumbs with melted butter, sprinkle it on top just before it goes into the oven.
Cover with aluminium foil (you can bake uncovered. Keep close eye on casserole to ensure cheese does not brown)
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Serve with your favorite meal, enjoy!
Substitutions On Broccoli Rice Casserole
Canned Soup (For Cheese Sauce): to save time and for convenience use canned cream of mushroom soup or canned condensed cream chicken soup.
Pre-packaged Broccoli: to save time, you can use frozen broccoli or pre-packaged broccoli and/or cauliflower can also be used.
Using Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken: feel free to use store bought rotisserie chicken (or even the leftovers). Chop chicken into small bite size pieces, measure about 1 ½ cups to use. Saves time definitely.
Using Other Varieties of Rice: white long grain rice is the best choice for this casserole recipe. You can substitute long grain rice with brown rice or even quinoa for lighter and healthier options.
Brown rice will take longer to cook and you may want to adjust the cooking time according.
How To Store Leftovers?
Transfer leftovers to a box. Cover with lid and store it in fridge. It stays good for 3 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze chicken broccoli cheese rice casserole for up to 3 months. Reheat directly in microwave for a minute or two. You can reheat in oven as well (you may get crispy top from reheating).
Serving Suggestions
This cheesy, creamy rice casserole goes well as side dish along with roasted meat.
Also can be served as an entree for light dinner.
DON’T FORGET TO TRY OTHER CHEESY DISHES:
Cheesy Cauliflower Bread sticks
Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
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Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts cleaned and diced or use 1 ½ cup store bough rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice
- 2 ¾ cups low sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 tablespoon cream cheese
- 2 cups cheddar cheese fresh grated
- Salt n pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep:
- Clean chicken breast, pat it dry with kitchen paper towel. Cut into small bite size pieces. To the chicken add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Mix well to coat evenly.
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Saute chicken pieces until seared on all sides. Don’t completely cook the chicken pieces. Remove seared chicken pieces from the pan into a separate bowl.
- Into the same pan add chicken stock (use vegetable stock vegetarian option). Add rice into the boiling water. Reduce flame to low, cover the pan with lid and cook rice until done for about 10-12 minutes(time may vary depending on the pot your use and the type of rice.) Once rice is cooked, remove it into a bowl.Jo’s Tip: DO NOT USE MINUTE RICE FOR THIS RECIPE!
- Rinse broccoli under tap water. Chop into small bite sized pieces. Boil broccoli florets in boiling water for 2 minutes. You want it broccoli to still have a crunch. Don’t cook the broccoli through. Using slotted spatula, transfer immediately half cooked broccoli into a bowl.
Make The Sauce:
- Note – skip this step if you are using canned soup in your dish.
- Melt butter in a pan. Saute yellow onions until tender.
- Add minced garlic and stir for a minute.
- Next add flour, dry mustard powder, a pinch of salt and pepper, and remaining cayenne pepper.
- Reduce flame to medium low. Keep stirring to cook the flour mix. Make sure you don’t brown or burn the flour.
- Slowly pour milk into the flour onion mix while whisking constantly. Pour all the milk and keep stirring. Cook the sauce for few minutes on low flames.
- Add cream cheese and half of freshly grated cheddar cheese to the sauce mix. Whisk continuing to cook on low flame until cheese is melted and blended through.
Bake Until Bubbly:
- In a large bowl gently stir half cooked broccoli, sautéed chicken, hot cooked rice and cheese sauce until combined. Transfer the mix into a greased ceramic or oven proof glass casserole or baking dish. Spread evenly.
- Sprinkle remaining grated cheddar cheese on top.
- Jo’s Tip: additionally add ritz cracker or bread crumb topping on top of grated cheese.
- Ritz cracker topping – combine crushed ritz cracker with melted butter and sprinkle on top of cheese before baking.
- Bread crumb topping-toss fresh soft bread crumbs with melted butter, sprinkle it on top just before it goes into the oven.
- Cover with aluminium foil (you can bake uncovered. Keep close eye on casserole to ensure cheese does not brown)
- Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit for about 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
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