Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

This Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole includes Campbell’s Soup, flavorful rice cooked in chicken broth, and a buttery, crunchy Ritz topping. Cook up some fresh chicken or use Rotisserie!

Are you ready for the ultimate comfort food recipe? My family and I have been eating this chicken and rice casserole for years now. Who needs to separate chicken, rice, and broccoli when you can whip up a creamy casserole?!

This recipe is one of my favorite freezer foods. I’m pretty sure readers come back for this recipe more than any other. Once you try it, you’re pretty much hooked.

You can make it with chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, and I even have a ham and a ground beef version!

Ingredients

See recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and instructions

• Unsalted Butter
• Chicken Breasts– Rotisserie chicken makes a good shortcut, ham works well too.
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt/Pepper
• Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• White Long Grain Rice– Don’t use Instant Rice (see below for more info). Brown rice may also be used.
• Broccoli
• Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup– See below for substitute options
• Milk
• Sour Cream
• Cheddar Cheese– Shred your own from a block at home for best results.
• Ritz Crackers

Optional Seasonings: 1 tsp dried thyme + 1/2 tsp garlic powder

How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

• Season the chicken and sear it in butter. Remove from pot.

• Cook the chicken broth and rice. Add the broccoli halfway through.
• Mix in half of the cheese and remaining casserole ingredients.
• Transfer to a 9 x 13 casserole dish, cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

• Combine melted butter and Ritz crackers, add to casserole. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Cream of Chicken Soup Substitutes

• This recipe can be made with Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese, and Broccoli Cheese.
• If you prefer to make the soup from scratch, try this homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe!

Don’t Use Minute Rice

I highly recommend you use regular long grain rice instead of minute rice:

• Long grain rice = creamier consistency. Short grain rice tends to be stickier.
• Regular rice has higher nutritional value and better flavor.
• We’re only cooking the rice for 15 minutes before baking it, and we steam the broccoli in the same pot.

Using Brown Rice

Brown rice takes longer to cook and requires more liquid than white rice.

• For that reason I would cook it separately, portion it out so that you have 2 cooks cooked rice at the end.
• You may want to throw a bouillon cube into the water to add some additional flavor.
• You can then combine it with the other ingredients as outlined and skip the chicken broth ingredient which is only needed to cook the white rice.

Using Frozen Broccoli

–2 cups of frozen broccoli (and/or cauliflower) can also be used. Just be sure you thaw and pat it dry! 

-Frozen broccoli is already blanched so you don’t need to cook it prior to mixing the casserole together.

Using Rotisserie Chicken

This is a great casserole for rotisserie chicken, 2 cups is the perfect quantity to use.

Since rotisserie chicken can sometimes be salted, I highly recommend sticking with low sodium chicken broth so that your meal doesn’t turn out overly salty.

Make-Ahead Method

-This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 days prior to baking. Let it sit out for 30 minutes prior to baking.

-If prepared 2 days in advance, it should be used within 1-2 days or leftovers should be frozen.

-The cracker/butter topping should be made when you bake the casserole and not prepared ahead of time.

Storage

-Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

-This casserole is a great meal to freeze and is best if used within 3 months of freezing.

-I often reheat frozen lunch-sized portions in the microwave from a frozen state. If possible, I’ll also bake it 350 degree oven at the end to crisp up the top.

Try These Next!

Creamy Chicken Stew

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken

The Pioneer Woman Chili

Chicken Caesar Pasta

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

Did You Make This Recipe?

I would love for you to leave a rating and a comment below! How’d you do?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

4.94 from 80 votes

Servings: 6

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This Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is an easy make ahead meal that you can assemble and bake another day! Your family will love the buttery, crunchy Ritz topping!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, separated
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• Salt/Pepper, to taste
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 1/4 cups white long grain rice, uncooked
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, uncooked
• 10.75 oz. Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, separated

Optional Seasonings

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Casserole Topping

• 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with Italian seasoning and desired amount of salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat until melted. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Note: This step is not needed if using a cooked rotisserie chicken.
• Add 1 more TBS butter to the pot.
• Add the chicken broth and rice to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli during the last 8 minutes of cooking and give the rice a quick stir.
• Turn heat off. Add the cooked chicken, soup, milk, sour cream, optional seasonings, and half of the cheddar cheese.
• Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and pour in the rice mixture.
• Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
• Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Add the Topping:

• Melt the butter and crumble up the crackers. Combine to form the topping for the casserole.
• Top the casserole with the crumbled cracker topping and bake uncovered for 10 additional minutes.
• Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Video

Notes

Using a 16oz. bag of frozen broccoli (and/or cauliflower) is a perfect alternative to fresh broccoli. Just be sure you thaw and pat it dry!

-Frozen broccoli is already blanched so you don't need to cook it prior to mixing the casserole together.

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Make-Ahead Method

• This casserole can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 days prior to baking.
• If prepared 2 days in advance, it should be used within 1-2 days.
• The cracker/butter topping should be made when you bake the casserole and not prepared ahead of time.

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Be sure to check out my ham and ground beef rice casseroles next!

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 89mg, Sodium: 780mg, Potassium: 279mg, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 750IU, Vitamin C: 0.7mg, Calcium: 344mg, Iron: 1.5mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie