Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
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This cheesy chicken and rice casserole is healthier than most–filled with veggies, brown rice, and chicken–but still creamy, cheesy, and comforting!
About This Recipe
Looking for a delicious casserole that DOESN’T include canned soup or other junky ingredients? This is it!
I worked hard (many, many tests and tweaks over the years!) to include lots of veggies and real food ingredients yet make sure this casserole lives up to its traditional reputation as comfort food.
This chicken casserole has the perfect balance of creaminess, comfort, crunch, and healthiness, in my humble opinion. If you like the sound of this one, you may also like our Turkey Stuffing Casserole, Chicken Parmesan Casserole, and Chicken and Stuffing Casserole.
Ingredients Notes
Like I mentioned, the old school chicken and rice casserole of yore included canned cream soup filled with additives, preservatives, salt, and sugar that’s pretty terrible for your body. But…this casserole sacrifices none of the flavor you remember while being filled with good-for-you ingredients!
Keep a few things in mind about the ingredients:
- Veggies – I used onion, carrots, celery, broccoli, & garlic. However, this is a pretty forgiving casserole, so feel free to swap out any of these for what you have on hand. Finely chopped and sautéed cauliflower, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, green beans, and more would work!
- Cooked chicken – This recipe calls for cooked and diced/shredded chicken (white or dark meat) as an ingredient. Rotisserie chicken from the store is a smart short-cut. One whole chicken usually yields about 4 cups shredded chicken. Other methods include:
- Use our fast cooking instructions in the recipe notes
- Use chicken from our Roasted Chicken and Vegetables recipe.
- Make Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Make a Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot
- Cooked brown rice – A handy way to prepare this is with our Instant Pot Brown Rice recipe. You can certainly sub in white rice instead, but I really like using Lundberg brand brown rice for extra nutrients. That brand is especially careful about avoiding arsenic in their product, which can be a hazard when eating a lot of brown rice.
- Panko breadcrumbs – I like to use whole wheat Panko because they are crunchy and just a bit healthier. However, you can also make your own homemade bread crumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs.
Note: You’ll find the full ingredient list and printable recipe at the bottom of this post.
What Brand of Brown Rice Should I Buy?
I highly recommend Lundberg Organic Brown Rice, as it’s grown in California and is a brand that actively cares about avoiding dangerous arsenic levels in their rice. (Read more about how rice–especially when it’s grown outside California, Pakistan, and India–is contaminated by arsenic here.)
Variations and Substitutions
Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free bread crumbs, leave off the breadcrumbs, or use almond meal instead.
Dairy-Free Version: I don’t recommend this, as the sour cream and cheese are a vital part of this recipe’s success. However, you can try using a non-dairy cheese like Daiya brand and a non-dairy Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. I’m just not sure how well this will work, since I haven’t tested it.
Vegetarian Version: Leave out the chicken, use vegetable broth, and double the amount of veggies. You could also replace the chicken with cooked black beans or navy beans for more protein.
Step-by-Step Overview of the Recipe
Before you get started, here’s a visual walk-through of this recipe so you’re armed and ready to create this luscious casserole yourself.
Saute & Season the Veggies
Chop all the veggies fairly small and uniformly and then saute until soft. You’ll season them with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and Italian seasoning. Set them aside.
Mix Together the Wet Ingredients
Here’s comes the comfort factor! In a large mixing bowl, you’ll stir together broth, sour cream (or plain, full-fat Greek yogurt would work), shredded cheddar cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Stir in the Chicken, Veggies, and Brown Rice
Add in the cooked chicken, sautéed veggies, and cooked brown rice to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Combine Everything in Casserole Dish
Add the mixture to a greased 9×13 inch casserole dish.
Mix Panko Breadcrumbs with Oil
Stir a little bit of olive oil into the Panko. The oil will ensure that they brown up in the oven. You can use whole wheat Panko, homemade breadcrumbs, or gluten-free breadcrumbs if you prefer.
Top with Panko Breadcrumbs
Top the casserole with an even layer of the breadcrumbs. This will provide a little crunch on top.
Bake
Bake at 375°F for about 25-30 minutes or until it’s golden on the top and the sides are bubbly.
Serve
Serve warm with a simple side with homemade salad dressing for a delightful, family-friendly dinner!
What to Serve with Chicken and Rice Casserole
From salads to other sides, here are some tasty serving suggestions.
Can You Freeze Chicken and Rice Casserole?
Absolutely! Like all of our freezer meal recipes, we offer freezing instructions for the best result. We’ve learned that it’s ideal to freeze casseroles before baking so they turn out tasting fresh.
How to Freeze For Later: Follows Steps 2-5 in the recipe below. Do not bake the casserole. Tightly wrap the dish in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil, pressing out any air. Freeze.
How to Prepare From Frozen: Thaw the casserole completely (24-48 hours in the fridge is best). Set the casserole on the counter and preheat the oven to 375°F. Follow Step 6 in the recipe.
Be sure to double this recipe while you’re at it and freeze one for later. What a great use of your time in the kitchen!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! While melty shredded cheddar is a standard of this kind of casserole, try experimenting using other cheeses, such as Pepper Jack for a little kick of heat, Gruyere for a more gourmet casserole, or even goat cheese or feta cheese crumbles. This casserole is very forgiving, so don’t be afraid to experiment a bit.
This recipe calls for cooked and diced/shredded chicken (white or dark meat) as an ingredient. Rotisserie chicken from the store is a smart shortcut. One whole chicken usually yields about 4 cups shredded chicken. Or, you can 1) use our fast cooking instructions in the recipe notes, 2) cook chicken in the Crock Pot, or 3) cook chicken in the Instant Pot ahead of time.
This casserole is a great one to prepare in advance. After prepping but before baking it, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I used onion, carrots, celery, broccoli, & garlic. But, feel free to swap out any of these for what you have on hand. Finely chopped and sautéed cauliflower, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, green beans, and more would work!
Absolutely! Like all of our freezer meal recipes, we offer freezing instructions for the best result. We’ve learned that it’s ideal to freeze casseroles like this one before baking so they turn out tasting fresh. After putting the casserole together but before baking it, tightly wrap the dish in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil, pressing out any air. Freeze for up to 3 months.
In my 15+ years of freezer cooking experience, I’ve found that cooking casseroles that are frozen solid can yield sub-optimal results. Oftentimes, they turn out dry and overcooked on the edges while still cold in the middle. The best option is to thaw this casserole completely in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours (or in a pinch use the defrost setting on the microwave) and then bake according to the recipe directions.
More Chicken Casseroles to Try
If you like this casserole, you’re sure to love some of these other favorite chicken casseroles:
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole (or Turkey Stuffing Casserole)
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole
- Chicken Fajita Casserole
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
This cheesy chicken and rice casserole is healthier than most–filled with veggies, brown rice, and chicken–but still creamy, cheesy, and comforting! It’s a fantastic, healthy way to use up some leftover broccoli and chicken.
Ingredients
- 2–3 tablespoons avocado or olive oil, divided
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 2–3 celery ribs, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 cups finely chopped broccoli (sub: cauliflower)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup sour cream (sub: plain Greek yogurt)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (sub: shredded Asiago cheese)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (finely shredded melts best)
- 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken* (great use of leftover Rotisserie chicken)
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (here’s how to make brown rice in the Instant Pot)
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (I prefer whole wheat; or use dry gluten-free breadcrumbs)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Saute Veggies: Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmery, sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and broccoli for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in the garlic during the last 30-60 seconds. Season with poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, and lightly with salt and pepper while veggies cook. Remove from the heat.
- Make Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream and chicken stock. Then stir in Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese. Lastly, add the cooked chicken, cooked brown rice, and sautéed veggies and stir to combine. Spoon the rice mixture into the casserole dish and press down to evenly distribute.
- Add Breadcrumbs: In a separate small bowl, combine bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Evenly distribute on top of the casserole. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Bake and Serve: Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until casserole is slightly bubbling around the edges. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end, if the top isn’t brown enough. Serve warm.
Freeze For Later: Follows Steps 2-4. Do not bake. Tightly wrap the dish in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil, pressing out any air. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw completely (24-48 hours in the fridge is best). Set casserole on the counter and preheat the oven to 375°F. Follow Step 5.
Notes/Tips
*How to Pre-Cook the Chicken: Season 2-3 chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper. Bake at 400°F for about 20-30 minutes (until no longer pink inside or register 165°F internally). Let rest on wooden cutting board for 5-10 minutes and then shred or dice the chicken.
Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten free bread crumbs, leave off the breadcrumbs, or use almond meal instead.
Can I Make a Dairy-Free Version? I don’t recommend this, as the sour cream and cheese are a vital part of this recipe’s success. However, you can try using a non-dairy cheese like Daiya brand and a non-dairy Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. I’m just not sure how well this will work, since I haven’t tested it.
Vegetarian Version: Leave out the chicken, use vegetable broth, and double the amount of veggies. You could also replace the chicken with cooked black beans or navy beans for more protein.
Tip: To add in some color, add 2-3 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley to the wet mixture.
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.
Sara says
I love this dish. Great winter comfort food!
Polly Conner says
Agreed! It’s a total comfort food. But pretty healthy!
Liliane says
Amazing! I love it. I would like to know how many calories there is per portion?
Thank you!
Rachel says
There is a free site called Spark People where you can enter in the recipe and it will give you the nutrition info. I hope that helps!
Cindy says
This was yummy! I modified it a little. I made it vegetarian with no chicken (duh lol) and a little extra broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. I used veggie broth instead of chicken broth. I used non-fat Greek yogurt and only 1-cup of the cheddar to lower the fat content. It turned out really well! I was a bit worried with how wet it is initially, but it turned out great! Thank you!
Polly says
We love hearing how people make our recipe their own. Thanks for sharing, Cindy!
Becky says
I know it’s been awhile since this was posted, but any thoughts on how much I could reduce the cheese without totally sacrificing flavor? I’m thinking of making it for someone recovering from a stroke, so I’d like to keep it as healthy as possible. Thanks!
Rachel says
You could probably leave out the 1/2 cup of Parm cheese. I think if you remove any more it will be too dry. The good thing is that this casserole is full of veggies, whole grains, and protein.
Cindy says
I kept the parm in because it has a strong flavor. I reduced the cheddar to 1-cup ( in the future I would use sharp cheddar). It turned out good!
Dayle says
Hi there, I followed the recipe exactly but when I took it out of the oven, the sauce had completely split…
I love the flavour though, so any tips on how to avoid this happening again?
Rachel says
What do you mean it had split? It curdled? I just want to make sure I understand your question. It’s been a long time since I’ve made this one, and I remember wanting it to be saucier. But, I’ve had several friends make it since and have success. All of this is to say, I can do a little thinking and detective work to try to solve your problem b/c I want to make this one again and make it a success for you, too!
Beth says
Could cream cheese be subbed for the sour cream?
Rachel says
Sounds delicious to me!
Rachel says
this looks delicious. If I wanted to leave out the chicken would I keep all other ingredients/amounts the same?
Rachel says
I’m not sure, Rachel, because I’ve never tried that.
Layla says
We don’t eat grains because our youngest is allergic. I am due with our third in a measly 9 weeks, and I am have the worst time trying to come up with meals that freeze well. With my other two, I just stocked up on frozen pizzas, toaster strudels, etc. ( I know how awful all that is now, but at the time it was perfect.) So far, I’ve got two shepherd’s pies made with cauliflower and rhubarb instead of potatoes, a pizza crust we can have that I will have to add spinach, sauce, etc. to the day of cooking, and I plan on making a chicken pot pie we can have. So altogether, maybe five meals:-( I think I will try this minus the brown rice. I know I’ll have to adjust the liquid a bit, but do you think it would work? I could make the crust with almond flour and add more veggies. I just don’t know how much leaving out the rice is going to affect it.
Rachel says
Hi Layla. Congrats on your third! I would really encourage you to check out our friend Kelly’s blog at The Nourishing Home (http://thenourishinghome.com/) for terrific grain-free meals and she is so quick to reply to comments and emails with questions. But, for this particular recipe, I think you might end up more like a stew instead of casserole, but I think it would still taste good. Here are a few other grain-free freezer meal ideas for you from our Freezer Meal page (https://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/):
Meatballs with Sneaky Veggies – I make these grain-free all the time–subbing almond meal and flax in for the bread crumbs. Delicious!
No Peek Stew
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Szechuan Steak Stir-Fry
Asian Lettuce Wraps
Homemade Chicken Nuggets – use almond flour or crushed pistachios, even, as coating
Roasted Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Veggies
Most of our Soups, Seafood, and Slow Cooker are grain-free options, too! Check it out on this page: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-recipes-index/healthy-freezer-meals-recipes/
Lorie Hoekstra says
I was looking for a healthy recipe where I could use my cauliflower and broccoli that I had in my fridge. I made this using a can of white meat chicken and added the liquid from the canned chicken. I substituted the rice with a brown rice mix with black barley and radish seed. I also used less cheddar cheese to lower the fat content. It was excellent and my family loved it too!
Rachel says
Lorie, I love that this was a hit for your family and all your healthy substitutions. Thank you for sharing!
Vee says
Hi, I love the fact that you made this WithOut the canned concoction! I love casseroles but always hesitate because I was unsure how to make it creamy without the canned soups. Thanks so much for the idea. It will help me fill the freezer of my friend who is expecting a baby any day now.
Vee
Polly says
Good luck with the baby on the way! Glad we could help, Vee.
Lisa says
I didn’t think casseroles with sour cream froze very well unless you bake them first. Doesn’t the sour cream separate when frozen and the casserole end up more runny than creamy?
Rachel says
I have frozen many a casserole with sour cream mixed in and had no problem. It’s mixed in well with everything else and does fine from my experience. Using full fat helps, though, since low fat does separate more easily.
Annika says
This dish is sooooo good!! Has anyone calculated a calorie count on this recipe?
Renee says
I got 475 calories per serving when I calculated it.
Rachel says
Thanks for chiming in, Renee!
Janet says
I’m looking for meals that I can freeze in individual portions and take to work for lunch. Do you think it would be a disaster if I microwaved this instead of baking it? I know it wouldn’t brown nicely, so maybe I’d omit the breadcrumbs. Or should I just steer clear of the casserole-type recipes? Thanks!!
Rachel says
What if you baked it first and then froze it in individual portions? Then, microwaving it at work would be just like warming up leftovers. I think that’s what I’d do.
Janet says
I’ll give that a try. Can’t hurt to try, right? Thanks for the input!
Jessee McKenney says
This was awesome! It’s going in my Keepers book! Thank you very much 🙂 So tasty.
Polly says
Glad you like it!
Anna says
Its great to have another meal that can use up veggies in the fridge. I didn’t have broccoli, but threw in some mushrooms and peppers. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Rachel says
So glad you liked it. It’s very forgiving, so throwing any favorite veggies in is a great idea!
brianne says
How long does this last in the freezer? I would like to make the whole batch but I’m concerned that it’ll go bad before I have the chance to eat it all. Im a college student so I’m only cooking for one person…. any suggestions you have would be great! !
Rachel says
Up to 3 months if you tightly wrap it and put it in the back of the freezer. Honestly, I’ve eaten meals that have been in the freezer much longer than that and they were fine. 🙂