I’m alllll about comforting casseroles in winter and this chicken and rice casserole is such a classic! It’s warm, filling, and oh-so cheesy. If you like Broccoli Cheddar Casserole, you’re going to love this cheesy chicken and rice casserole. We’ve taken the classic broccoli cheddar side dish and added a few more vegetables and chunks of juicy chicken breast to make it a full meal. This Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is all the creamy comforting goodness you’ll need to survive the winter. #thestruggleisreal
Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Casserole
Here’s what you’ll need to make this extra cozy, cheesy, broccoli chicken and rice casserole from scratch:
- Broccoli: We use frozen broccoli florets to cut down on the prep work for this dish. If you want to use fresh, make sure to steam them until al dente before adding to the casserole.
- Chicken: We used boneless, skinless chicken breast in this casserole to keep it classic, but you can use diced chicken thighs if that’s a better fit for your budget.
- Onion & Carrots: To make this chicken and rice casserole full of color, flavor, and texture, we added a even more vegetables in the way of onion and carrots.
- Rice: Rice bulks up the casserole making it extra filling without raising the cost too much. Make sure to use day-old long-grain rice for the best texture.
- Butter & Flour: Butter and flour create a “roux” that helps thicken the sauce and make it extra rich.
- Milk: Milk is the base for the sauce that binds this casserole together. It gives the casserole an extra creamy finish.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth combines with the milk for the sauce to add even more depth and flavor. If you use a low sodium broth, you may need to add extra salt to the sauce to get the best flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese: Cheese makes the casserole extra rich and comforting!
- Spices: Salt, pepper, and smoked paprika come together to create just the right amount of flavor without becoming too complex.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is used to sauté the chicken, but you can use your preferred cooking oil.
What Else Can I Add?
If you want to have fun and make this chicken and rice casserole recipe your own, try some of these variations:
- Add peas to the vegetable mix
- Use a buttered breadcrumb and Parmesan topping instead of cheese
- Add hot sauce to the cheese sauce to make it spicy
- Add crumbled bacon
- Add sautéed mushrooms to the vegetable mix
- Take a shortcut and use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of diced chicken breast
Why Use Day Old Rice?
Just as with fried rice, day-old or chilled rice works best for this recipe because it’s a little firmer, allowing it to combine easily with the other ingredients without getting mushy. So, this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is excellent for using up leftover rice, or if you like to cook big batches of rice and freeze it.
One more note. If you want cheesy but just not super-duper cheesy, simply skip the layer of cheese on top and bake as-is (cover with foil), or top it with buttered bread crumbs for a crunchy topping. And yes, you can use brown rice for this.
P.S. I ate this for breakfast this morning and I’m not even sorry about it.
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1/2 lb frozen broccoli florets ($0.85)
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2/3 lb.) ($1.26)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 carrots ($0.33)
- 4 cups cooked long grain rice ($0.75)
- 3 Tbsp butter ($0.40)
- 3 Tbsp flour ($0.02)
- 1 cup chicken broth* ($0.13)
- 1 cup whole milk ($0.38)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 8 oz medium cheddar, shredded ($2.00)
Instructions
- Take the broccoli out of the freezer and allow it to begin to thaw. Once it’s soft enough to cut with a knife, cut the florets into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
- Cut the chicken breast into small 1/2-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium, then add the olive oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chicken pieces and cook until slightly browned on the outside. Remove the chicken pieces to a large clean bowl.
- While the chicken is cooking, finely dice the onion, and peel and slice the carrots. Add the onion and carrots to the skillet after the chicken is removed and sauté until the onions are softened. Transfer the onions and carrots to the bowl with the chicken.
- Add the chopped broccoli florets (even if not fully thawed) and the cooked rice to the bowl with the chicken, onions, and carrots. Stir to combine, then add 1/2 of the shredded cheddar (about 1 cup) and stir to combine again. Set the mixture aside.
- Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF and coat the inside of a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add the butter and flour to the same skillet used to cook the chicken and vegetables. Cook and whisk the butter and flour over medium heat until it begins to foam, then continue to stir and cook for one minute.
- Slowly whisk the chicken broth into the flour and butter mixture. Allow it to come up to a simmer, at which time it will thicken. Once thickened, whisk in the milk and allow it to come up to a simmer again. When it’s thick enough to coat a spoon, season with smoked paprika, freshly cracked pepper, and salt.
- Pour the sauce over the rice mixture in the bowl and stir until everything is combined and coated in sauce. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the casserole.
- Bake the casserole, uncovered, for about 35 minutes or until it becomes golden brown around the edges. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!I simply cannot resist cheesy rice! 🤤
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole – Step by Step Photos
Begin by taking 1/2 lb. broccoli florets out of the freezer and allowing them to begin to thaw. Once soft enough to cut with a knife, chop them into smaller bite-sized pieces, then set them aside. Cut one boneless, skinless chicken breast into small pieces (about 1/2 inch) and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium, then add 1 Tbsp olive oil and the chicken pieces. Cook the chicken until it is golden brown, then remove it to a large clean bowl.
While the chicken is cooking, dice one onion, and peel and slice two carrots. After removing the chicken, add the onion and carrots to the skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent. Transfer the carrots and onions to the bowl with the chicken.
Add the partially thawed broccoli and 4 cups cooked rice to the bowl as well, then stir to combine. The cold broccoli and rice will help cool the chicken and vegetables enough so that they don’t melt the cheese in the next step.
Add half of the 8oz. shredded cheddar to the bowl and stir to combine again. Set this mixture aside. Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF, and coat the inside of a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray.
To the same skillet used for the chicken and vegetables, add 3 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp flour. Cook and whisk these two together over medium heat. It will start out looking like a paste, then it will begin to bubble and foam. Once it starts foaming, cook and stir for one minute.
Then whisk in one cup chicken broth and let it come up to a simmer…
At which point it will thicken to a pudding-like consistency.
Then whisk in one cup of whole milk and let it come up to a simmer again, at which point it will thicken to a nice sauce. Season the sauce with 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, some freshly cracked pepper, and about 1/2 tsp salt (you want it to be fairly salty so that it doesn’t get too diluted once mixed with the rice and vegetables). The orange-y color above is due to the smoked paprika.
Pour the sauce over the rice mixture in the bowl and stir to combine. Spread the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Cover with the remaining 4oz. shredded cheddar and bake for about 35 minutes at 350ºF, or until it begins to brown around the edges.
And then the cheesy goodness is ready to devour!
Srsly. Yes. This cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is EVERYTHING.
Do you think I could make this ahead to cook the next day?
Yes you could make this recipe ahead of time. Enjoy!
Just made this with all vegan ingredients (Gardein chickn strips, daiya cheddar, earth balance, soy milk) and it was the bomb! Toddler approved too. Kept all measurements the same. Thanks for the recipe!
My two year old and I made this for dinner; she was a big fan… easy to chew the broccoli and carrots and the cheese was delicious. Yes, we destroyed the kitchen with our prep, but we have dinner for a couple of nights so it was worth it!
Can’t wait to make this it looks amazing! Would swapping the whole milk for light almond milk make that much of a difference in thickening the sauce?
Should’ve read further to see that you’ve already answered this!
All of the thickening power actually comes from the flour, so it shouldn’t matter in that area, but it probably will taste less creamy.
I was in a hurry at the store and ended up buying 2 boxes of rice a roni cheddar and broccoli rice to use in this recipe and it turned out deliciously cheesy. My boyfriend had 2 large helpings and we are both taking the leftovers to work for lunch tomorrow. Will definitely make it again!
Can you substitute corn starch for the flour?
I haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure what effect it would have specifically, but generally cornstarch and flour do create different textures and appearances when used to thicken liquids.
I’m need to make this gluten-free, so I’ll just try my Jules GF flour.
Is there a way to “favorite” this recipe? I have found a lot of recipes I’ve like on your website and would love to keep them in one spot!
I don’t have that function on the website right now, but you could always create a bookmark folder in your browser and keep them all in one spot that way. :)
OMG! EXCELLENT!!
Do you think I could freeze this?
I’m not sure on this one. Sometimes flour thickened sauces, which this recipe contains, can break down after freezing and thawing.
So I’ve made this dish twice in as many weeks. Hubby loves it and so do I. I was looking for a chicken & veggie casserole that didn’t use canned soups and this one was a winner. I played around with it both times. The first time around we thought it needed more chicken but when I added more chicken on the second time, it was too much. It’s a small amount of chicken used but it’s perfect. I also used fresh broccoli–it just needs to be cut smaller. And I doubled up the sauce portion. I do that with every recipe I try, just in case. With the extra sauce (and no cheese IN the dish, just on top) it was super creamy. So good!
This turned out wonderful! I actually made a small mistake with this recipe, but it ended up tasting great anyway. I will absolutely come back to do the recipe justice. It’s getting cold here in Chicago and this is some great midwestern comfort food.
This probably goes without saying, but to those with tiny kitchen (like myself), this recipe is going to get messy! I used all fresh vegetables and grated fresh cheddar, so I had a lot of dishes to clean. Still, it was very worth it.
This all sounds amazing! Would you be able to sub heavy whipping cream for the whole milk? (If yes, what amount?)
I think that would change it quite a bit, so I’d need to test it to see what adjustments would need to be made to have the sauce work correctly.
I made mine with whipping cream. I always substitute whipping cream for milk. It just makes the sauce a little thicker! Still turned out great.
Can you sub almond milk for the whole milk? Thanks again for sharing wonderful recipes on a wonderful site!
I haven’t tried almond milk, but my guess is that it wouldn’t be thick or creamy enough.
Wow, this was really good! Perfect ratio on everything too. I used leftover turkey. I’m positive it would taste better cooking the chicken as the recipe specifies. Thanks so much.
-Michelle
I subbed the rice for pasta and I had some biscuit mix that I hadn’t used yet. I lined the bottom of a dish with biscuits and poured the mixture over it, was awesome! Think next time I’ll make more sauce for it so, even more, soaks into the biscuits :D
Awesome recipe!