Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole

This Easy Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole is a creamy, cheesy comfort meal made with simple ingredients. It uses rotisserie chicken, cream of chicken soup, Velveeta, and rice for a quick, oven baked one dish dinner. You’ll love how fast this 30 minute dinner comes together — great for make ahead meals or busy weeknights. Pin this one pan recipe now so you always have one of the easiest dump and bake casseroles ready to go!

Pin

Why this is the best Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe

It's a simple and easy baked chicken and rice recipe. This great weeknight chicken casserole is as easy as dumping a few things together; it doesn't get any easier than that! The recipe is simple with only a few ingredients, so prep is very quick and easy too. And there are no pots and pans - just mix it all up in the casserole dish!

The ingredients for this easy recipe are very common and very inexpensive. You probably have most of the simple ingredients already in your pantry, and the remaining couple are available in every grocery I've ever visited.

This chicken and broccoli casserole tastes great. The simple ingredients pack a big punch in terms of flavor. The cream of chicken soup adds flavor - all of it combines to make the best chicken casserole you've ever eaten! It's comfort food at its finest.

Pin

This recipe is super versatile. Like mushrooms? Use cream of mushroom soup instead and throw in a handful of sliced mushrooms. Avoid Velveeta? Throw in a couple handfuls of shredded cheddar and pepper jack. Don't have bread crumbs? Use French fried onions or Ritz cracker crumbs. Use whatever you want! You can literally replace any of the ingredients with something else and still have a delicious chicken and rice casserole.

This recipe can be made in as little as 10 minutes! I like the crunch of the breadcrumbs, but if you're really running short on time, skip them, mix up the casserole, microwave it for 10 minutes, and then crumble some Ritz cracker crumbs over the cooked casserole. Voilà, dinner in 10 minutes!

This recipe is easy to serve. It doesn't get easier than a dump-and-go casserole, which makes this a perfect weeknight dinner for a busy mom or dad.

Pin

What you'll need to make Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole

Equipment

• Deep 9x13 pan

Ingredients

Pin

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutrition facts.

• Plain breadcrumbs - To make a gluten-free chicken broccoli and rice casserole, you will need to use gluten-free breadcrumbs or toast a couple of slices of gluten-free bread and then put them in the food processor to make crumbs.
• Butter - You're going to melt this to toast the breadcrumbs. If you're using Ritz cracker crumbs or french fried onions, you can skip this step.
• Rice - You will need to put fully cooked rice into your casserole, but you should measure it uncooked, and then prepare according to package directions. I personally use jasmine rice, but you can use any white rice, brown rice, or long grain rice, as you prefer. Just prepare it according to the package instructions before adding to the casserole. This is also a great way to use up leftover rice. You want about 2 cups of cooked rice in the casserole.
  Cook's Tip: If you want extra flavorful rice, cook it in chicken broth instead of water!
• Shredded chicken - You can use canned, rotisserie, or fresh chicken thighs or breasts, as you have available. I like to use canned chicken because it's so quick and easy, but if I happen to be at the grocery store, and they have rotisserie chickens available, I'll grab one for this casserole. As a last resort, if I have a boneless skinless chicken breasts thawed out, I'll sauté one of those with some salt and pepper and shred that.
• Onion powder - This gives the casserole some extra flavor.
• Garlic powder - This gives the casserole some extra flavor.
• Milk - This dilutes the cream of chicken soup and makes a nice, creamy sauce for the casserole.

Pin

• Velveeta - Velveeta makes the casserole cheesy and thick.
• Pepper jack Velveeta - This may be called Mexican Velveeta in some parts of the country. If you can't find it, you can either use an equal amount of pepper jack cheese, shredded, or just use all regular Velveeta.
• Butter - This needs to be softened, and it will get mixed into the milk and soup mixture.
• Chopped broccoli florets - You can use raw fresh broccoli or be thawed and drained frozen broccoli. If you want your broccoli in the casserole to be soft, you should steam it for a few minutes before adding to the casserole. I like mine a little crunchy, so I just throw it in raw.
• Undiluted cream of chicken soup - I prefer cream of chicken, but you can use any cream of soup: mushroom, celery, asparagus, or homemade. If you' making a gluten-free casserole, you will need to use homemade cream soup as commercially prepared cream soups usually contain gluten. Note that I don't add salt to this recipe because I think the cream soup contains enough salt to carry the other ingredients.

Pin

How to make Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

1. If baking the casserole, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until coated.
   Pin
3. Toss every minute or two until the breadcrumbs are evenly toasted.
   Pin
4. Combine all remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs in a 2-quart baking dish.
   Pin
5. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top.
   Pin
6. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or microwave for 10 minutes. Breadcrumbs are already toasted, so they don't really need to be baked in the oven to get crispy.
   Pin

Variations & substitutions

As stated above, this recipe is super versatile. You can literally replace any of the ingredients with something else and still have a delicious chicken and rice casserole. Use whatever you want!

You can add almost any vegetable, fresh or frozen, to this casserole and get great results. I especially like to use a mix of broccoli and cauliflower. (You can get that frozen in a bag for the quickest prep. Just thaw and drain the veggies before adding them to the casserole.)

Pin

Like mushrooms? Use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken, and throw in a handful or two of sliced mushrooms.

Avoid Velveeta? Replace it with an equal amount of shredded cheddar cheese and pepper jack.

Really love cheese? Add a couple handfuls of shredded cheese on top of the casserole, right before adding the breadcrumbs.

Don't have bread crumbs? Use French fried onions or Ritz crackers.

Short on time? Skip toasting the breadcrumbs and use Ritz cracker crumbs or French fried onions instead.

Pin

Can you make Chicken Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole ahead?

Yes! This is a great recipe to make ahead. All you need to do is prep the casserole, including mixing it all together (either in a bowl or right in the casserole dish), and then cover it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you're ready to bake. Then put it out, uncover, and bake or microwave it as directed. You may need to add a couple of minutes since you're cooking it chilled.

Storing leftovers

Transfer the fully cooled leftover casserole to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Pin

Try these other delicious casseroles

• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole
• Cheesy Chicken Hashbrown Casserole
• Cheesy Shrimp Casserole with Velveeta
• Creamy Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Leftover Ham and Cheese Casserole with Cauliflower
• Mexican Layered Chicken Casserole
• Beef Enchilada Casserole
• Healthy Hash Brown Casserole

Recipe