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Best Recipe for Chicken and Rice Casserole
Our tasty chicken and rice casserole is a hearty dish that is packed with creamy tender chicken, rice, and seasonings, making it the perfect weeknight meal.
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This classic chicken and rice casserole is a hearty family favorite. Creamy and delicious, tender chicken is mixed with cream soup, rice, and seasonings for a meal that we guarantee will get rave reviews.
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 3 cups cooked chicken, diced into small pieces
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2¼ cups milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups minute rice, uncooked
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley for garnish
Note: You could use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken you pick up at the grocery store for this recipe.
Chicken Rice Casserole Substitutions and Additions
CHICKEN BREAST: I make this great recipe with a rotisserie chicken or other leftover chicken, but you could also use homemade chicken breasts, chopped or shredded, or even ground chicken.
CREAM SOUP: If you don’t like cream of mushroom soup, you can substitute for any other cream soup such as cream of celery soup or another one that you do like.
SOUR CREAM: You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream if you’d like. If you wanted to leave out the sour cream entirely, you could, but we would suggest increasing the quantity of cream soup in this case.
SEASONING: You could add a dash of paprika for more flavor if you’d like.
VEGGIES: You could add your favorite veggies like carrots, broccoli, peas, celery, green beans, or mushrooms to this dish.
CHEESE: Add your favorite cheese! Cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese are two great options.
TOPPING: You could always add a few breadcrumbs on top for some extra crunch.
How to make Chicken and Rice Casserole
This chicken and rice casserole recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken or make a quick and easy weeknight meal. It’s packed with flavor and can be made in under an hour.
It can even be easily doubled or tripled to feed a large group of people.
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl mix all ingredients together except the parsley which is optional for garnish.
You don’t need to cook the rice before adding it to this dish.
STEP THREE: Pour chicken and rice mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
STEP FOUR: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
STEP FIVE: Remove the foil cover and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
HOW LONG DO YOU BAKE A CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE?
You’ll bake this casserole for a total of 55 minutes. First, bake covered for 45 minutes and then remove the foil for an additional 10 minutes so that the top browns nicely.
Easy Chicken Rice Casserole Serving ideas
Add a tasty side dish and you’ll have a delicious meal for a weeknight dinner. Since you’ve got your meat and grains covered, a vegetable-based dish would be a great choice. Try our green bean casserole or a Caesar salad.
For more easy recipes, try our chicken pot pie soup and crockpot crack chicken.
MORE CASSEROLE RECIPES
How to store Chicken Casserole with Rice
If you’re in the mood for something savory and comforting, but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, this chicken and rice casserole is the perfect solution.
It’s a dish that can be easily made ahead of time and reheated for a quick and delicious meal.
IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftovers from this chicken casserole in the fridge for up to 3 days.
IN THE FREEZER: If you’re doing this creamy chicken and rice dish as a freezer meal, you’ll put it together and then cover it tightly to freeze.
When it’s time to bake, just thaw in the fridge and then pop the baking dish in the oven, covered with foil, and follow the baking instructions above.
HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE
If you are making this as a freezer meal, assemble the dish right up to the baking stage. Cover with foil and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and pop in the oven to bake.
This casserole is perfect for a winter night or any time you’re craving old fashioned comfort food. Our easy chicken and rice casserole is full of creamy sauce and delicious ingredients.
Best of all, it’s super easy to make. So go ahead and give it a try – we promise you won’t be disappointed.
Why you’ll love this recipe for Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Easy clean up: All the ingredients are mixed in one bowl and then transferred to the casserole dish.
- The rice doesn’t need to be cooked ahead of time.
- Hearty and delicious.
- Add a side veggie and you are all set.
- This dish can be made as a freezer meal and frozen before baking.
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe FAQs
Can I make this casserole ahead of time?
This easy casserole recipe is a fantastic make-ahead meal. You can prepare the dish and then freeze it. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and then bake it according to the recipe instructions.
Do I have to use minute rice?
In this creamy rice bake, it is best to use minute rice as it cooks faster and we can’t guarantee that any other type of rice will come out cooked and tender.
Can I add vegetables to this dish?
If you’d like to add either fresh or frozen veggies to this casserole, you certainly can!
Do You Cook Chicken Before Adding to Casserole?
For this casserole recipe, you will be using cooked chicken. You can either cook the chicken specifically for this recipe or use any leftover chicken from rotisserie chicken to baked chicken breasts from a previous meal.
Do I Cook Rice Before Adding it to Casserole?
The rice does not need to be cooked before adding it the casserole. It will cook while the casserole is in the oven.
Can You Cook Rice and Raw Chicken Together?
While this recipe uses cooked chicken and uncooked rice, generally, it is safe to cook rice and raw chicken together and a great way to save on extra pots and pans.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Chicken Casserole with Rice
Our tasty chicken and rice casserole is a hearty dish that is packed with creamy tender chicken, rice, and seasonings, making it the perfect weeknight meal.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken, cooked and diced
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2¼ cups milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups minute rice, uncooked
- salt and pepper, to taste
- parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except the parsley which is optional for garnish.
- Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350°F.
- Remove the foil cover and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
Note: You could use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken you pick up at the grocery store for this recipe.
Note: You don’t need to cook the rice before adding it to this dish.
Nutrition
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 1174mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 344IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Robin says
I added a little dried beef, green onion and some mozzarella chz (cleaning out the fridge). Turned out great. Will definitely make again
Traci says
Made this second time for dinner and used 1 can cream chicken soup and 1 can Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup to make it more if a fiesta rice casserole with a bit of mexi twist! Cornbread with jalapeños in it. Can top with crushed Fritos at end! Side salad and yum!! Thanks for recipe it’s marked as a fav to come back to!
Brenda O'Regan says
I made this few days ago and the family thought it was just delicious! I was very pleased with outcome, delicious!!!