Chicken & Rice Casserole

This chicken and rice recipe is definitely a direct flight to a quick and easy dinner destination. Hear me out! It requires minimal cleaning up, and the active cooking time is only 20 minutes. The rest of the time, you can just lounge in your living room while this whips itself up. For some, cream of mushroom soup makes an easy and reliable dinner; for others, it’s a NO. I’m here to tell you that, whether you're traditionally a cream of mushroom fan or not, it's worth it in this casserole. The soup gives the casserole a creaminess without taking out the bite of the rice. The dish is also a Midwest classic, so I really wanted to stay true to the origins. For an added bonus, this casserole has a special finish with crunchy broiled Parm on top to add a pop of flavor and slight crunch.

Sold yet? Keep reading down below for even more tips and tricks on how to make this classic casserole:

How To Make Chicken & Rice Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken Breasts: I find boneless, skinless chicken breasts to be the simplest option for this dish, and since I’m aiming for simplicity and flavor, I prefer them here. However, you should make this dish work for you, so if you prefer chicken thighs, boneless or bone-in, that would work as well.
• Yellow Onion & Garlic: These aromatics are going to add a good level of base flavor for the casserole that gives it that warm, cozy feeling. Garlic and onion are must-haves for any allium-friendly pantry.
• Long-Grain White Rice: I prefer a long-grain white rice here for both flavor and texture. While I definitely feel there is a place in many dishes for brown rice or medium and short grain rice, here we really want the light, not sticky texture that long-grain rice brings. If you feel you must sub this out for a different rice, take care to ensure for changes in cooking time and liquid.
• Chicken Broth: Chicken broth is almost always my preferred broth when cooking dishes that don’t need to be vegetarian-friendly. It has a delightful flavor that will help layer with the chicken in the dish and add to the overall taste of chicken throughout. Plus it adds the needed extra moisture to ensure that the rice cooks up soft and fluffy and the casserole as a whole is moist.
• Condensed Mushroom Soup: As I mentioned in the intro to this dish, I truly believe this is one of the most important ingredients in this casserole. The mushroom soup adds a creaminess that lends to a pleasant texture, while also providing some mushroom flavor that classically works well with chicken and rice dishes. Give it a shot!
• Parmesan: I can’t imagine a casserole without cheese—at least, I’d rather not try—and think the subtle flavor and nuttiness of Parm make it the perfect addition here. Plus, it's going to form a nice crust when broiled.
• Parsley: Parsley has a pleasantly sharp, clean green flavor that this dish is missing in its other ingredients. While it isn’t exactly going to ruin your experience to exclude parsley, it sure isn’t going to help either.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start this dish out by preheating your oven, with a rack ready in the center. Then clean and pat dry your chicken, and season it liberally with salt and pepper as you bring a large skillet with oil up to a shimmer over medium-low heat. Allowing your oil to come up to temperature with your pan, as opposed to adding it into an already hot pan, gives it the chance to better come up to temperature to achieve that perfect golden brown crust we’re looking for. Add the chicken breasts into the hot skillet and cook for 6 minutes on each side, before removing them from the heat and onto a plate. Using two forks, or one of those infomercial Wolverine claws, shred the cooked chicken.

Turn the burner under your still-hot skillet down to low and add onion into the pan, seasoning with salt and cooking for about 10 minutes until softened and just turning brown. Then add in the garlic and continue cooking for another minute, stirring intermittently, until aromatic. Turn the burner back up to medium heat and add in the long-grain rice. Cook the rice and aromatics for 1 additional minute, until the rice is translucent. This will allow the rice to soak up more flavor and retain its texture better.

Transfer the whole mixture to a baking dish and pour in both the broth and the mushroom soup, seasoning with salt and pepper and stirring to combine and evenly distribute.

Then cover the baking dish with foil to allow it to steam while cooking, and place it into the hot oven to bake for about 1 hour. Carefully peel back the foil and add the shredded chicken to the top of the casserole, then cover again with the foil and allow the casserole to bake for another 10 minutes.

Finish the casserole in the oven by turning the broiler on, removing the foil, and topping the dish with Parmesan.

Broil, paying close attention not to burn the cheese, for 1 to 2 minutes. Then remove the baking dish from the oven and top the casserole with parsley to serve.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip browning the chicken: You have the chance to get some really nice color on the chicken before going into the oven. It makes the dish look so much more beautiful and the flavor really carries through. You can also make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs and cook and follow the same time and instructions.
• Rinse the rice: If you don’t rinse your rice, you’ll end up with something more mushy. When you serve yourself a dish you actually want to see that the rice still has a bite and the grains still keep its shape.
• Make it work for you: The point of this recipe is to also use what you have. Don’t have an onion? Use a shallot! Have a different kind of cheese? Sure. Grate some pecorino, extra sharp white cheddar or even a low moisture mozzarella for a cheese pull.

What To Serve With Chicken & Rice Casserole

This casserole is definitely the main attraction, but every hero needs its sidekick, and every main needs its side. Since the casserole itself is a little on the heavier side, I like to serve it alongside some fresh greens like our crunch salad or our cranberry bacon green beans. And while I just said I want to keep it light, you’re going to want something to sop up any extra sauce, so try our Thanksgiving rolls or fluffy potato rolls.

Storage

If you’d like to make this casserole ahead of time, prepare the dish without baking, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to eat, bake as directed and enjoy. Alternatively, you can freeze the covered, unbaked casserole for up to 3 months.

If you manage to have any leftovers after serving, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.