I love that this chicken broccoli rice casserole is all cooked in one pot then transferred to a baking dish to bake. You can even make it a day ahead and then bake it. I like to divide mine in half for the 3 of us. Then I bake the other half later in the week.
This chicken broccoli rice casserole is great to make with rotisserie chicken or you can just cook up your own chicken in the pot before you do the rest of the items. It starts with adding some uncooked rice to a pot with some chicken broth and olive oil. You just partially cook the rice, then add the broccoli florets on top of the rice and cook a little longer. This allows the broccoli to steam while the rice finishes cooking.
Next you will mix in some cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, cheese, thyme, garlic powder, and chicken. Stir to combine and pour into a greased baking dish. Then sprinkle with some cheddar cheese, cover and bake for 15 minutes.
At this point, you will uncover it and top with some crushed Ritz crackers that you mix with some melted butter. The casserole goes back into the oven uncovered for 10 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Here is what you need to make the
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- CHICKEN BROTH
- OLIVE OIL
- WHITE LONG GRAIN RICE
- FRESH BROCCOLI FLORETS
- COOKED AND DICED CHICKEN
- CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP
- MILK
- SOUR CREAM
- DRIED THYME
- GARLIC POWDER
- SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE
- RITZ CRACKER
- BUTTER
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 cups white long grain rice, uncooked
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, uncooked
- 2 cups cooked and diced chicken
- 1(10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup Ritz cracker, crushed
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Add chicken broth, olive oil, and rice to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover tightly and cook for 6 minutes.
- Place the broccoli on top of the rice and cover. Cook for 9 more minutes. Do not stir. Turn off the heat and leave the cover on. All the rice stand for 10 minutes, do not stir. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Once the rice is ready, add in the the cooked chicken, soup, milk, sour cream, seasonings, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the melted butter and crackers. When the casserole is done baking, uncover and sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Allow the casserole sit for 5 minutes prior to serving. Serves 6.
This recipe is adapted from The Cozy Cook.