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.

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!

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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 pot luck.

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, 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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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 SquashA 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!

Potato and Parsnip Gratin A great side dish for the holidays

If you’re looking for an alternative to canned cream of chicken soup, try this from scratch condensed Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup.

Questions

Have you had a casserole or hotdish with tater tots on top?

What casseroles are popular where you live?

If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a review and star rating! I appreciate it so much! 

Thanks for reading and Happy Cooking!

~Katie

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chicken and rice casserole

★★★★★ 5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Katie Webster
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: entree
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: American

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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.

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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, cut into chunks

1 pound chicken breast, cut into cubes

3/4 cup peas

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 12 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread rice on top.
2. 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.
3. Add broth to the skillet, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and whisk in cream cheese until melted.
4. Top rice and vegatbles with chicken and peas. Pour in broth mixture, gently so as not to disturb the chicken and rice too much.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 casserole
• Calories: 441
• Fat: 19 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Carbohydrates: 41 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 31 g

Keywords: casserole,chicken and rice,instant rice,chicken,healthy,cream cheese,vegetables,cheese,broth,gluten-free,wheat-free,whole grain,