Our comfort-filled Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole includes an easy homemade creamy chicken soup that provides a mouthwatering base for this meal.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This is a great make-ahead chicken rice casserole that everyone will love.
- You have a choice to make homemade cream of chicken soup or use a store-bought brand if you're in a hurry. Both give delicious results.
- It is such an easy dinner that is just full of flavor.
Ingredients
- White Rice - It will cook in the casserole and become fluffy and tender.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - They are chopped and browned to make a delicious cream of chicken soup for the casserole.
- Chicken Broth - The broth mixes with the milk to make a creamy sauce for the chicken rice casserole.
- Broccoli Florets - adds a veggie and a nice crunch to the dish.
- Whole Milk - adds a creamy texture to the sauce. .
- All-Purpose Flour - thickens the milk and stock to make a creamy sauce.
- Poultry Seasoning, onion, and fresh garlic - all add flavor to the chicken casserole.
- Balsamic Vinegar - gives a zing to the cream of chicken soup sauce.
- Cheddar Cheese - well everything is better with cheese.
- Bread Crumbs - add a crunch and texture to the casserole.
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Equipment
- Casserole dish
- Mixing Bowl
- Meat Thermometer
Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Place the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and sliced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes to soften the veggies.
Step 2: Add the cubed chicken and saute. until the chicken is at least 125F (it will continue cooking further in the soup and casserole), stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Saute and stir occasionally until the chicken is at least 125°F (it will continue cooking further in the soup and casserole), stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Add the flour and poultry seasoning to the chicken and stir to coat.
Step 5: Add the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, and milk and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.
Assembling the casserole
Step 1: Grease or spray with non-stick spray a 9” x 13” casserole dish and set it aside. Cook the rice according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Layer the casserole ingredients in the casserole dish by first adding rice.
Step 2: Add in the soup and chicken.
Step 3: Top with the broccoli.
Step 4: Stir to combine.
Step 5: Top with shredded cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs.
Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce thickens.
Storage
The leftovers can be kept in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave using the manufacturers' instructions. Otherwise, reheat in an oven-safe dish until warmed through at 350°f.
This is a great casserole to make double and freeze for later. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. If cooking from frozen, it can take about 1 to 1 ½ hours to bake.
The casserole can be defrosted overnight in the refrigerator. Then cooked as in the recipe below.
Expert Tips
Expert Tip: Once the sauce bubbles, cheese is melted, and chicken is at 165°F, the casserole is finished cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, it is not necessary to cook the rice prior to adding it to the casserole.
Use pre-cooked chicken for this recipe. Rotisserie chicken can also work.
Cover the casserole with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and let the casserole finish baking.
Always use a meat thermometer to verify the correct temperature of poultry which should be 165°F when cooked through.
Variations
A different kind of rice such as basmati or jasmine rice can also be used to make this recipe.
Frozen broccoli can be used if fresh broccoli is not readily available.
Brown rice can be used instead of white rice. However, brown rice takes a bit longer to bake, about 10-15 minutes.
Store-bought condensed cream soup and cooked shredded chicken can be substituted for our from-scratch cream soup.
Use leftover chicken or Rotisserie chicken as a quick shortcut for making this recipe.
For those following a Keto or low-carb diet, use cauliflower rice instead of using white rice.
Quinoa can be used in lieu of rice too.
Serving Suggestions
This is a great casserole on its own. If you would like to add a salad, try these tasty meatless salads as a side dish, apple pecan salad, apple walnut salad, or arugula salad with a fresh lemon vinaigrette are all fantastic side dishes.
Similar recipes
Our beefy cheesy Texas Hash is a one-pan crowd-pleasing dinner.
Frito Pie dinner brings everything together in one casserole for a tasty meal.
Easy beef enchiladas are another crowd-pleasing casserole your family will love.
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If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice, uncooked
Cream of Chicken Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 " cubes or 25.4 mm
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 cups chicken broth or stock
- 2 cups whole milk note 1
Chicken Rice Casserole
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces Note 2
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken Note 3 from the cooked cream of chicken soup recipe
- 2 cups homemade cream of chicken soup Note 4
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Before making the cream of chicken soup, prepare the rice according to the package instructions.
How to make the cream soup
- Place the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and sliced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, the vegetables will begin to soften.
- Add the cubed chicken. Saute until the chicken is at least 125°F (it will continue cooking further in the soup and casserole), stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
- Add the flour and poultry seasoning to the chicken and stir to coat.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth and milk and bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes. Sauce will then and meat will continue to cook but not be thoroughly cooked through. Set aside.
Asseble the Casserole
- Grease a 9” x 13” casserole dish and set it aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Layer the casserole ingredients in the casserole dish: cooked rice, followed by the cream of chicken soup and chicken, then the broccoli.
- Stir to combine.
- Top with shredded cheddar cheese and plain breadcrumbs.
- Bake covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. until the cheese is melted and the cream of chicken soup appears to be thickened.
- Remove foil, bake another 5 minutes, the cheese should melted and the cream of chicken soup will be thick and bubng.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
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