chicken and rice casserole
I’m not going to tell you that you’ll like this from-scratch (NO CANNED SOUP) Chicken and Rice Casserole. No, I am not. Instead I am going to tell you that you are going to fall head over heels, like tell everyone that you know, sing from the rooftops, in love with it.
I originally shared this recipe on december 10, 2018. I have updated the text and added step by step photos to share it with you again today.
Okay maybe I am laying it on a bit strong, but this Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe… it’s good. Like really, really good. And it is made entirely from scratch with fresh veggies, chicken breast and brown rice with cheese on top!
I’m going to get into how to make chicken and rice casserole without canned soup, in just a jiffy, but before I do, I feel I should confess I sat down to write this post eleven billion hours ago but have ended up on an internet Odyssey of inadvertently delighting in learning about all sorts of casserole related lexicon.
Facts About Traditional Casseroles
For example, do you know what a Hotdish is? A hotdish is a casserole from the Midwest that is usually made with canned cream soup, veggies (usually frozen or canned) and some sort of starch. One of the most famous kinds of hot dish involves tater tots on top! I do not think I can go through life without trying it. It sounds too strange to not be good. And everything in moderation, right?
I also learned that a “covered dish” is not a covered dish at all. It’s actually a party where everyone brings a dish to share. Like a potluck.
Furthermore, I learned that whereas a Hotdish always includes sauce, veggie, starch and almost always a protein, Casseroles do not have to have all of those components. For example, Chicken Divan does not have the starch part of the meal in it. It would be served over noodles or rice.
This Chicken and Rice casserole, while not a traditional hot dish, does contain the requisite components of one: creamy sauce, starch, protein and veggies. Though without the canned soup nor tater tots, like in Meggan’s Cowboy Casserole, I can’t really see that it would be considered one.
Speaking of the fact that it doesn’t have canned soup, let’s get into that!
How to Make Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole Without Canned Soup
Soften the Vegetables
- First start with softening the fresh veggies in a skillet.
- I used a combo of onion, carrots, celery and garlic in a little bit of butter. If you prefer red bell peppers or broccoli they would work instead.
- I would use the onion no matter what for the best flavor.
Cook with Butter
- Why butter instead of oil? I used butter because I wanted the casserole to taste classic and buttery!
- I used two tablespoons, and it does add a subtle butter flavor.
- If you prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil it will work fine.
Make Sauce
- After the veggies are softened, make the sauce which is a combo of broth and cream cheese. The heat melts the cream cheese right into the broth and it takes on a tangy creamy flavor – IMO –> totally casserole appropriate!
- If you are concerned about locust bean gum, which is commonly added to stabilize commercially produced cream cheese, look for locally produced cream cheese made without stabilizers. Even better if it’s organic! I love this cream cheese from Vermont.
Layer The Casserole
- Layer the ingredients into a casserole dish.
- Start with the rice. Note: the rice is Brown Minute Rice, which is par-cooked and dehydrated brown rice. So it is whole-grain, but cooks quickly.
- On top of the rice, add on the veggies, the cubed chicken, then pour on the broth mixture.
- Last add on thawed peas, cover with foil and transfer to the oven.
Add Cheese After Foil is Removed.
- After the rice is cooked and has soaked up all the sauce, remove the cover and add on shredded cheese.
- I like to grate my cheese by hand for a recipe like this. Bagged shredded cheese is awesome and convenient, but it is coated in starch to keep it from clumping together in the package. That inhibits it from melting together too unfortunately. So if you want maximum cheesiness (who doesn’t) then shred your cheese by hand.
- Today I used orange NY Sharp cheddar cheese but white cheddar would work great too.
- Add that on top of the casserole, and pop it back in the oven to melt.
Let it Sit
- I let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes to cool down a bit before we dug into it. I also added on some fresh parsley on top to make it prettier.
- If you’re looking for something to serve with this recipe, try my Garlic Mashed Broccoli.
Steps To Make Chicken and Rice Casserole
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- 1. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray and spread the rice in the bottom.
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- 2. Sauté the vegetables in butter to soften.
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- 3. Spread the cooked vegetables over the rice.
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- 4. Top the vegetables with cubed chicken breast
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- 5. Scatter the peas on top.
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- 6. Simmer the broth and whisk in cream cheese
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- 7. Carefully pour the hot broth and cream cheese into the casserole.
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- 8. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes.
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- 9. Remove the foil, top the casserole with cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.
More Casseroles To Try
- Chicken Divan Made with fresh broccoli and no canned soup
- Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli Made with fresh or frozen chopped broccoli, with crunchy breadcrumb topping
- Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash A grown-up mac and cheese if ever there were one, made with rosemary and Gruyere Cheese
- Chicken and Biscuits Casserole On the best-of list- not to be missed!
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas come together super fast, or this Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole with homemade enchilada sauce is also a popular recipe.
- If you’re looking for an alternative to canned cream of chicken soup, try this from scratch condensed Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup.
If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a review and star rating! I appreciate it so much! And if you’re new here you may want to sign up for my email newsletter and join the conversation over on instagram.
Thanks for reading and Happy Cooking!
~Katie
chicken and rice casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: entree
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chicken and Rice Casserole- a healthy from-scratch version made without canned soup! Whole-grain quick cooking brown rice, lean chicken breast, creamy sauce and fresh veggies bakes up to make a complete meal! 441 cal, 31 g protein! Naturally gluten-free and kid friendly.
Ingredients
3 cups instant brown rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry thyme
½ teaspoon pepper
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese, whipped or regular cut into chunks
1 pound chicken breast, cut into cubes
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 12 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread rice on top.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, thyme and pepper, and cook stirring often until the vegetables are just starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape vegetable mixture out onto the rice, covering evenly.
- Add broth to the skillet, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and whisk in cream cheese until melted.
- Top rice and vegetables with chicken and peas. Pour in broth mixture, gently so as not to disturb the chicken and rice too much.
- Cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the rice has absorbed the liquid, about 45 minutes.
- Remove foil, top with cheese and return to the oven until melted, about 10 minutes. Let rest uncovered for 10 minutes and serve hot garnished with parsley if desired.
Notes
To Make This Ahead: I would prepare it through step 3. Then, let the broth mixture cool. Then continue building the casserole as directed. Cover with foil and refrigerate for a day. Then continue on as directed, adding 20 minutes of extra time before removing the foil and adding cheese.
To Freeze It: Bake as directed, then freeze. Thaw and then rewarm, covered with foil in the oven at 350 degrees F until steaming hot all the way through, 25 to 35 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 casserole
- Calories: 441
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 31 g
How many people does this chicken rice recipe serve?
It serves 6 people. Let me know how it comes out!
Does it have to be instant rice?
I have to test it out but my guess is that it would work fine. You could start by trying it with two cups of regular brown rice, and if you have it use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breast. The rice will take longer/ My guess is close to an hour. Breast would dry out in that time, but thigh meat will be fine. Let me know if you try it!