Chicken and Rice Casserole
I’m not going to tell you that you’ll like this from-scratch Chicken and Rice Casserole without canned soup. 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 shared this recipe on December 10, 2018. I have improved the recipe to share it with you again today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
If you are looking for a comfort food dinner that really satisfies then this is your winner-winner chicken dinner. The whole family will fall in love with the creamy cheesy chicken and rice casserole. And the best part of all is that it is made from scratch without any canned soup!
The layers of this casserole are made up of sauteed fresh veggies, chicken breast and brown rice with cheese on top! It is held together with an easy sauce made from broth and cream cheese.
It is a great meal to make for a Sunday supper and can be reheated for lunches. You can feel great about serving it as a one dish dinner or along with a salad because it is filled with veggies, whole grain brown rice and lean chicken breast.
This recipe has been updated and improved! We have listened to your feedback and reduced the amount of rice, and increased the veggies (yay) and chicken too! We love the way it came out. If you want the original formula, follow the measurements in the note section of the recipe card.
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Instant Brown Rice or Minute Brown Rice: The rice is Brown Minute Rice, which is par-cooked and dehydrated brown rice. So it is whole-grain but cooks quickly. Look for “minute” “quick” or “instant” on the packaging. Find it in the rice aisle in the grocery store. If you have extra make this recipe for One Pot Chicken and Rice with Spring Veggies recipe next!
- Chicken: We have used 1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast. But you can also use boneless skinless chicken thigh meat instead. Follow the instructions in our FAQ section if you want to use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
- Veggies: I used a combo of onion, carrots and celery. If you prefer red bell peppers or broccoli they would work instead. To top the casserole, use frozen thawed peas.
- 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.
- Cream Cheese: To give the sauce a bit of body, without the cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery some recipes call for, I used whipped cream cheese. Just whisk it right into the broth and it will melt in. Regular cream cheese also works, but may be a bit trickier to whisk in. Sour cream is a good alternative if you have that on hand. Either will work well to give it a creamy, tangy old-fashioned chicken casserole vibe, without the additives found in most onion soup mix or cream soup.
- Cheddar Cheese: I used pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I love using stronger flavored cheeses in healthier comfort food recipes because you can get away with using a little less, but they still add lots of cheesy flavors!
- Broth: You can use store bought or homemade chicken broth.
- Seasonings: I used dried thyme, salt and pepper as well as fresh garlic to season our chicken rice casserole. Feel free to jazz this up more to your liking. Add in fresh thyme, a little garlic powder, onion powder or dill weed if you like.
Tip: If you are short on time, feel free to sub in bagged frozen mixed vegetables. Give them a quick sautee to reduce the excess liquid. If you are looking for a way to use up leftover veggies in your crisper or have another combo of vegetables that you like use that instead. Aim for 6 cups total in place of our recommended veggies. Some to try are broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole
Step 1: Preheat the oven, coat the baking dish with cooking spray and layer the dry minute rice in the bottom of the casserole dish.
Step 2: Saute the veggies in oil to soften them. Add in the seasonings.
Step 3: Top the rice with the sauteed veggies, spreading out in an even layer.
Step 4: Top with the chunks of skinless chicken breasts and then peas on top.
Step 5: Heat the sauce up in the skillet, and whisk any browned bits from cooking the veggies. When it simmers, whisk in the cream cheese. If using regular cream cheese, it may appear a little lumpy but it will melt into the casserole as it bakes.
Step 6: Pour the sauce over the casserole taking care not to dislodge the chicken and peas too much.
Step 7: Cover the casserole dish with foil and carefully transfer it to the oven to bake. Bake it until the liquid is absorbed or 38 to 45 minutes.
Step 8: Remove the foil and top with cheese. Bake again until the cheese is melted.
Serving Suggestions
Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes to cool down a bit before digging in. If you like you can also add on some fresh parsley on top to make it prettier.
If you’re looking for something to serve with this family favorite, try it with green beans, our sauteed green beans are super popular or my Garlic Mashed Broccoli would be good too. Another option is this classic Garden Salad.
Expert Tips and FAQ’s For This Healthy Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe
This recipe calls for raw chicken. It cooks through as the casserole bakes. If you want to use up leftover cooked chicken, that works well too! Follow the instructions as directed and omit the chicken. Cover and bake. Then add the cooked chicken on top of the peas in the last 10 minutes of baking. Then top with cheese to finish and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Yes. To do so, use two cups of regular brown rice and four cups broth. The rice will take longer to become tender and absorb the liquid, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. You’ll want to consider swapping in chicken thighs for the breast because they would dry out an hour of baking. The thigh meat will be fine.
You do not need to pre-cook the rice before making this casserole. I have accounted for the amount of moisture the veggies will let off and the amount of broth needed to perfectly cook the rice through.
Cover the creamy chicken rice bake with foil and refrigerate up to four days. You can also store individual servings in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated.
Reheat each portion on a microwave-safe plate for 4 minutes or until steaming hot all the way through. Alternatively, the casserole can be reheated in the oven set at 350 degrees F. Keep it covered. Cook until it is hot all the way through. For best results, pour a little broth into the casserole (let it sink to the bottom) to prevent it from browning too much and letting the rice dry out.
More Casseroles To Try
- Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli Made with fresh or frozen chopped broccoli, with crunchy breadcrumb topping.
- Our Chicken Divan is a healthier version of the original classic broccoli chicken casserole.
- These Stuffed Shells with Spinach have a secret healthy ingredient mixed in!
- 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.
- My Mexican Chicken Casserole is made with leftover chicken.
- If you’re looking for an alternative to canned cream of chicken soup, try this from scratch condensed Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup.
- One of the most famous kinds of hot dish involves tater tots on top! Check out this Tater Tot Hot Dish Recipe from Amanda’s site or this Tater Tot Casserole from Chandice.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintChicken and Rice Casserole Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
IMPROVED RECIPE!! 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! Naturally gluten-free and kid friendly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups instant brown rice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 2 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, whipped or regular cut into chunks
- 1 1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 1 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.
- Top rice and vegetables with chicken and peas.
- Add broth to the skillet, increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Whisk in cream cheese until melted.
- 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, 38 to 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.
ORIGINAL RECIPE
Used 3 cups brown instant rice, 4 cups broth, 3/4 cup peas, 1 cup carrots and 1 pound chicken.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: entree
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 casserole
- Calories: 456
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
I made this last night and it tasted really good!
However it was really watery. I feel that 4 cups of broth is a bit too much for instant rice. I will try again with less broth.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m curious about this Nico, as this is the first time I’ve heard of that problem. Did you bring the broth mixture to a boil and then pour it over the rice while it was still hot and transfer it to the oven right away? If you didn’t it’s possible that the rice didn’t absorb all that it could have.
A great recipe with NO CANNED SOUP! Did not take any longer to prepare! Yum!
I am so glad glad to hear that you liked it Sharon. Thank you for coming back to review and rate.
Hey Katie, This looks delicious! Is there a way to make ahead – where would you stop?
Hi Katie, I have not tested this out, but here’s what I would do. 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.
This is delicious! I used two cups of quick brown rice and two cups of cooked black rice. Also used cooked chicken (Sous Vide) and put it in per the recommendation about 10 minutes prior to adding the cheese. A definite keeper! Thanks for the recipe.
Glad to know these substitutions worked. Thanks Scott!
I can’t rate the recipe because it’s not done yet, but I had to comment before forgetting or losing this recipe into the deep recesses of my phone!
Born and raised in Minnesota, your study of the “hotdish and casserole” phenomenon cracked me up. I had a friend who was a transplanted Minnesotan, and her first experience with our “pot luck parties” was reminiscent of your post!
We had sent around a sign up sheet so people could indicate what they wanted to bring. One of the categories was “hotdish” and another was “bars”. She called me and was nearly apologetic when she said she’d probably bring paper plates, cuz she couldn’t imagine what in the flyin’ flute either of those other “things” were. This was way back. Long before google would have answered her question.
I had a heck of a time trying to adequately define “bars”. She would say “oh…you mean brownies”. Ummm…yes and no. I wish I could remember if they had a kind of catch all name for “bars”. Having never met anyone who hadn’t lived here forever, I couldn’t help but marvel at the little things that make each region so unique.
Anyway, since this posting, I hope you’ve taken the “Tater Tot Hotdish” journey Not sure how much of the stuff I’ve eaten over the course of a lifetime. There are as many variations of it as there are church basements where it’s often served! We don’t have it often anymore simply because it’s pretty unhealthy. Then again, that’s something that ALL of those dishes had in common years ago. While many of them lend themselves to healthier versions, two of them are in my “why bother” list. One is the infamous Tater Tot, and the other is a little taste treat we call “Potato Chip” hot dish. Also a church basement frequent flyer. Tuna, cream of mushroom soup, egg noodles, peas, shredded cheese, and a big ol’ bag of crushed Old Dutch potato chips decorated the top. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
I love hearing this Janet. Thank you so much for commenting from the land of Hot Dish. I love hearing about it. I LOVE the idea of potato chips on top. Sounds salty and yummy!
I have frozen cooked chicken left over from roasting a whole chicken. How should I adjust cooking time?
In step 4 omit the chicken. In step 5 bake the casserole for 35 minutes, then add on the chicken, cover and continue baking for 10 minutes. Then remove the foil, top with cheese and follow instructions for step 6.
I have boneless skinless thighs…. Would that work? TIA!
Yes for sure, just remove the skin if there is any. Enjoy!
This was very easy to make and I loved the alternative to canned soups. Very tasty! I actually halved the recipe, used a bit of green pepper instead of celery because that was what I had on hand. Still did the other veggies as specified. I also only had white rice so I used that instead of brown. Finally, I added basil, marjoram, parsley, but skipped the thyme (I personally do not care for thyme.) I was very happy with the results. Thanks for the recipe!
Cool! Thanks for letting us know how it went. Was the white rice instant or regular? I would love to know as I am sure others would try the same. I really appreciate your coming back to review! Thanks so much!
Loved this, thank you! Very easy! I made two casseroles for a large dinner I was having for my large family. Made one with the vegetables in the recipe, and another with the onions, little bit of carrots and celery, and a lot of broccoli. I used half chicken bone broth and half chicken broth. And 1-1/2 lbs. chicken rather than 1 lb. because our boys like a lot of protein. Both casseroles were a hit, I’ll be making them again and seeing if they freeze well.
Hi Pam, That’s awesome news. I love the additions of veggies! Sounds great. Thanks for coming back to review! It’s much appreciated.
Very good. I did sub mushrooms for carrots, used low-fat cream cheese and cooked veggies in olive oil vs butter. Will make it again swapping out the veggie/rice ratio. More veggies and less rice. Husband said it needed more chicken too. Good combination of flavors.
Hi Jan, That’s great! I can appreciate that you wanted more veggies! I am always the same way! Thank you for coming back to review. I really appreciate it!
I used roasted chicken and the instant brown rice (mixed with 1/4 cup leftover white rice) from Costco, frozen Italian vegetables (instead of peas) and Monterey jack cheese (instead of cheddar) because I did not have the listed ingredients. The casserole came out delicious and just the right seasoning (not too salty). My family said it is the best chicken casserole I have ever made.
P.S. I found the recipe because I did not have any canned soup available in the cupboard, what luck! Thanks!
Pat this note seriously makes my day! I love that you and your family liked it so much! That makes me so happy to hear! I also am grateful you came back to review. It’s so helpful!
Thank you, this was absolutely delicious! Love how hearty and nutritious it is with all the veggies & chicken & of course the cheezy topping is so decadent. I just wish I had made a double batch to freeze one. It was delicious as leftovers. Thanks again!
-Alison, Southern CA
Alison, I am so psyched to hear that you liked it so much. Thank you for coming back to review. I appreciate it!
I made this last night. It literally took me 10 minutes to prep. I tweaked it a bit. I only had white rice, so I sprinkled 1 cup of it in the buttered casserole dish(thought 3 cups was a bit more than we wanted). I sauteed the veggies with butter for a couple minutes (added green onion to saute), added 2.5 cups of stock to veggies, added 4 oz cream cheese to mixture, whisked and cooked for a couple minutes, then I added 1/2 cup frozen peas and 1/2 cup frozen baby limas to the simmering mixture (no need to thaw, you’re adding them to a boiling mixture and then cooking them at 375 for over an hour). I set several whole boneless skinless chicken thighs over the rice, sprinkled with lots of salt and pepper, then poured the simmering mixture over the chicken and rice. Covered and baked and followed the rest of the directions. This dinner was super easy, super fast prep, from scratch, and super yummy. We did not think it was bland at all. I recommend lots of salt and pepper during prep for all of the ingredients, though. Thanks for the recipe!
I love to hear about the ways you tweaked it, and it sounds great to me! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review! I appreciate it! Have a great rest of your week.
A homemade classic, from scratch! I made this chicken and rice last night and both my husband and I couldn’t stop eating it. I’ve always had it with cream of mushroom or cream of chicken canned soups but this version has much more depth of flavor! Easy too!
Hi Kim, Ss glad to hear it! Thank you so much for the review and rating. I appreciate your taking the time to come back to do that. Have a great rest of your week.
We had this a few weeks ago and absolutely LOVED it! The comment about it being bland is way off. Mine needed a little more salt, but that was my fault because I tend to UNDER salt and let people salt their own. Nothing a little sprinkle of pink salt couldn’t fix. Here’s a couple of questions I have.
1- I would love to try this with cauli rice in place of HALF of the rice…just to lighten it up a bit. Any reason why that wouldn’t work? Would I leave the rest of the recipe as is?
2- What do you serve with things like this? I’m always at a loss because it already has a carb…and TECHNICALLY it has veggies…but I feel like I need something else, but I don’t know what. Suggestions?
Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I stumbled on your site and now have so many of your recipes saved!