This old fashioned chicken, rice and cheese casserole is the kind of comfort food you come back to again and again-creamy, cozy, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. It's the perfect no-fuss dinner for busy weeknights, but also one of those nostalgic dishes that feels like home the second it comes out of the oven.
Quick Look: Old Fashioned Chicken, Rice and Cheese Casserole
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 1 hr
- 🍽️ Servings: 6
- ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe: It's creamy, cozy, and made with simple pantry staples - the kind of comforting, no-fuss dinner that always brings everyone back for seconds.
- 🍪 Main Ingredients: Chicken, rice, cheese, and Cream of Mushroom soup.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
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- Quick Look: Old Fashioned Chicken, Rice and Cheese Casserole
- ❤️ Why You'll Love this Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole
- 🍲 Main Ingredients
- 🗒 Substitutions
- 👩🍳 How to Make Old-Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
- 🪄 Tips and Tricks
- 🗒 Variations
- 🗒 Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole is Best served with:
- 🍗 Old-fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole FAQ
- You may like these creamy comfort food classics!
- Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
❤️ Why You'll Love this Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole
Lately, I've been missing my mom and being a little nostalgic. So I wanted to bring back one of her old comfort food recipes and kick it up with some vegetables, cheese and a couple of topping ideas. Boom! It's a winner, dare I say Winner Winner Chicken Dinner….. hee hee. It's great served with my easy Mixed Greens Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette!
This Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole comes together in only 10 minutes of prep time. And if you like dishes that come with minimal hands-on time, check out my Gorgonzola Cream Sauce, One-Pot Sausage Pasta Bake, Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake, or One-Pot Ravioli with Marinara recipes.
🍲 Main Ingredients
Chicken - Protein-packed chicken. Chicken breasts or tenders
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces.
- White rice: Use uncooked long-grain white rice.
- Cream of mushroom soup: Creates the creamy sauce; cream of chicken also works.
- Frozen broccoli: Makes this an easy all-in-one casserole.
- Cheddar cheese: Added after the rice is tender, then melted over the top.
🗒 Substitutions
Out of one of the ingredients, check out these substitutions.
- Replace chicken breasts with chicken thighs or tenders or firm tofu
- Sub cream of chicken soup for the cream of mushroom soup.
👩🍳 How to Make Old-Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Preheat and Prep
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease of baking dish and combine all ingredients in stir.
- Cover Tightly and Bake
Cover tightly and bake at 375 for one hour and 10 minutes.
- Remove from Oven and Add
Add shredded cheese to the top of the casserole and place it back in the oven for 10 minutes
- Remove from the oven
Take off the foil and serve.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Tightly seal the baking dish with foil. The steam helps cook the rice.
- Toppings: Experiment with different toppings from cheese to crackers to fried onions.
🗒 Variations
The beauty of the Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole is all the variations:
- Vegetable options: Mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or onions are all good options.
- Meatless: replace the meat with lots more veggies or extra-firm tofu. And if you love this, you will love the original chicken and rice casserole recipe.
🗒 Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole is Best served with:
- A simple green salad with a vinaigrette.
- Crusty Bread with roasted garlic, if you're feeling fancy.
🍗 Old-fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole FAQ
Store the leftover Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Add a bit of water if needed when reheating.
It just hasn't cooked long enough. Try not to open the oven and peek - every time you do, it can take 10-15 minutes for the oven to regain the proper temperature needed to cook the rice. Make sure it's covered tightly, then return it to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
Yes, in this recipe, they are interchangeable. Use whatever you prefer. Just make sure the can size the same.
You may like these creamy comfort food classics!
Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 10 ounce package frozen broccoli
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Stir together cream of mushroom soup, water, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, rice, broccoli, and chicken pieces in the 9x13 greased baking dish.
- Bake covered at 375°F for 50-60 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Add cheddar and bake a few more minutes.
- Top with shredded cheese and bake just until cheese melts, just a couple minutes.
Notes
- Substitute the cream of mushroom soup for the cream of chicken preferred
- If your rice is still too firm after 1 hour, cover the dish tightly and return it to the oven for 5-10 more minutes.
- Don't open the oven often to take a peek, it lowers the oven temperature and takes longer for the rice to get tender.
- Make-ahead: Build your dish in the morning and refrigerate. Pop it in the oven when you are ready to bake. It will take a few more minutes to bake from cold.
- The recipe can be halved and baked in an 8x8 pan or ovenproof skillet
- Note: Nutritional values vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
Lauren Lane says
An old school classic that is still a family favorite! Perfect for a busy weeknight.