This chicken broccoli rice casserole cooks in just one pot, perfect for busy weeknights.
Chicken and broccoli are baked in a creamy, three-cheese sauce with rice under a crispy breadcrumb topping.
You’ll Love This One-Dish Dinner Because…
- Quick & easy, this cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole is a one-pot meal that saves you time in the kitchen.
- Skip the cream of chicken soup; this broccoli rice casserole has a simple homemade sauce.
- Pure comfort food, it’s a quick stovetop casserole with a homemade sauce.
- Enjoy it for meals or lunches all week long.
Ingredient Tips and Variations
No need for a can of cream of mushroom soup; this broccoli chicken casserole has a sauce so easy it practically cooks itself!
- Chicken: This recipe uses cooked chicken; use rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken or turkey. You can also poach chicken breasts and shred them.
- Broccoli: I prefer the texture of fresh broccoli florets, but frozen broccoli will also work. You can replace it with other vegetables like cauliflower, sliced carrots or mushrooms.
- Rice: Instant rice (such as Minute Rice) is a timesaver, which makes this recipe quick to prepare.
- Broth: Chicken broth is added for flavor and to cook the rice.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese and dried herbs make the sauce creamy without being too heavy. You can swap it for flavored cream cheese like garlic or jalapeno.
- Cheese: You can use what cheese you have on hand—ensure at least one cheese has a bold flavor.
Variations
- Replace the onion with 1 teaspoon of onion powder and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Instead of breadcrumbs, try homemade crispy fried onions or crushed Ritz crackers as a crispy topping.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Cook onion and garlic in butter in an oven-safe pot.
- Stir in cream cheese, herbs, broth, rice, and broccoli. Rest for 5 minutes.
- Once the rice is tender, add bite-size pieces of chicken, sour cream, and cheese.
- Top with cheddar and breadcrumbs and bake (recipe below).
Leftovers and Storage
- Keep leftover chicken broccoli casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat portions in the microwave.
- Freeze portions in freezer-safe containers for up to one month and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze a fully baked and cooled casserole by lining the casserole dish with foil and gently lifting it out once frozen. Wrap in foil and plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and reheat as detailed above.
More Cozy Casserole Recipes
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Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Try this cheesy one-pot chicken broccoli rice casserole for a tasty all-in-one meal!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cups instant rice
- 4 cups broccoli florets chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Topping
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a Dutch oven or large oven-safe pot, cook onion in butter over medium heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Stir in cream cheese, oregano, and basil and stir until the cream cheese is smooth and melted. Add chicken broth, rice, and broccoli.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and cover. Let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Once the rice has rested and is tender, stir in chicken, sour cream, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top the casserole with cheddar and breadcrumbs (if using).
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is lightly browned.
Notes
Using raw Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs: Replace cooked chicken in this recipe with 1 lb of fresh chicken. Cut into bite-sized pieces, season with salt & pepper, and pan-fry the chicken pieces in 2 teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat until no pink remains, about 7-8 minutes.
Bake In a Casserole Dish: If you do not have a Dutch oven or oven safe pan, prepare the recipe as directed and then transfer it to a 3qt or 9×13 baking dish or pan. Bake as directed.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1.74cups | Calories: 428 | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 851mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1046IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 366mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Chicken, Dinner, Entree
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Fantastic; I made this with cooked rice(always have some in my freezer). I adde 1/2 teaspoon of curry; it really brings up the taste.