The Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is a hearty and comforting dish that is loaded with tender chicken and broccoli in a homemade creamy sauce. A great dinner for the family. It's also perfect for a crowd.
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.
Notes
Note 1: I recommend using whole milk, 1%, or 2% milk. Skim milk tends to taste a bit funny in cooked meals. Note 2: If using frozen florets, don't defrost them or they will get mushy. Note 3: The chicken is from the homemade cream of chicken soup. If using a storebought cream of chicken soup, use pre-cooked chicken from either rotisserie chicken, poached chicken, or Instant pot shredded chicken. Note 4: If using canned cream of chicken soup, add 1 cup of milk plus the can of soup to replace the homemade cream of chicken soup.