Go Back
Avatar photoEmily Garcia

Chicken Rice Casserole

This "3-step comfort food magic" is a quintessential weeknight lifesaver. It’s a dump-and-bake meal that combines tender chicken and rice in a creamy double-soup sauce, topped with a golden blanket of melted cheddar cheese.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Casserole, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Cooked chicken (Shredded rotisserie works best) (Protein & Grains)
  • 1 cup Long-grain white rice, uncooked (Protein & Grains)
  • 1 can Cream of chicken soup ($10.5text{ oz}$) (Creamy Base)
  • 1 can Cream of mushroom soup ($10.5text{ oz}$) (Creamy Base)
  • 1 cup Chicken broth (Low-sodium) (Creamy Base)
  • 0.5 cup Milk (Creamy Base)
  • 0.5 tsp Garlic powder (Seasoning & Topping)
  • 0.5 tsp Onion powder (Seasoning & Topping)
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper (Seasoning & Topping)
  • 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese (Seasoning & Topping)

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish greased
  • large mixing bowl
  • aluminum foil essential for a tight seal

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to **$350^{circ}text{F}$** ($175^{circ}text{C}$). In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, uncooked rice, both soups, chicken broth, milk, and seasonings. Stir thoroughly until the rice is well-coated and the mixture is uniform.
  2. Pour the mixture into a greased $9text{x}13text{-inch}$ baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for **$45text{ minutes}$**. The tight seal is crucial as it creates the steam environment necessary to cook the raw rice to a perfect texture.
  3. Remove the foil and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another **$15text{ minutes}$** until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
  4. Let the casserole rest for **$5text{ minutes}$** after taking it out of the oven. This allows the sauce to thicken and ensures the flavors are perfectly set before serving.

Notes

Use standard long-grain white rice; avoid instant rice as it will become mushy. The tight foil seal in Step 2 is crucial for steaming the raw rice properly. If the rice is still firm after $45text{ minutes}$, bake for an additional $10text{ minutes}$ before adding cheese. You can assemble this $24text{ hours}$ in advance and store it in the fridge; just add $10text{ minutes}$ to the covered baking time.