Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe
When it comes to quick and easy weeknight recipes, nothing beats a skillet chicken dinner. I can’t tell you how many dozens of fast chicken dinners I have on Averie Cooks after almost 15 years of blogging — hundreds, that much I know! From this Parmesan Dijon chicken skillet to this Mexican chicken skillet to this garlic butter chicken skillet (which has more than 1,000 star reviews and counting!) I love cooking chicken in a skillet with a few choice veggies in as little time as possible but with the maximum amount of flavor. Enter: This easy chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole with minimal prep. There are just a few veggies to chop, very little dry ingredients to measure, and it can be customized using whatever vegetables are hanging out in your produce drawer. Diced chicken cooks in a skillet before making a roux, which is a fancy word meaning combining a little melted butter with milk and flour to act as a thickener. Why do we do we make a roux? To ensure there are:
no condensed soups no canned soups no cream of chicken soup no cream of mushroom soup
…in this easy comfort food casserole recipe! The rice and broccoli cook in the roux mixture with the pan drippings, so that every last bite of this stovetop casserole is infused with flavor. As a bonus, this easy stovetop casserole recipe is gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour. Of course, make sure you double check labels.
Ingredients for Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Quick and easy is the name of the game when it comes to making this cheesy chicken and rice broccoli casserole. This Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan cheese is fast, easy, and a family favorite. It uses pasta rather than rice which everyone adores. To make this recipe, you’ll need the following:
Olive oil Yellow onion Chicken breasts Salt, pepper, and onion powder Garlic Unsalted butter All-purpose flour (or a gluten-free flour intended for baking/cooking) Whole milk Chicken broth White rice Broccoli florets Cheddar cheese
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli
The chicken and rice casserole with broccoli comes together with minimal effort and minimal prep time on your part. Total time is about 30 minutes or less! Here’s a basic overview of this recipe: Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then add the onion and chicken that’s in bite-sized pieces. Cook for about 4 minutes to brown, then add the garlic. Keep cooking until the chicken is almost cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Step 2: To the same skillet, you’ll make a roux by melting butter, and then whisk in the flour. Cook for about 30 seconds (this will be the base of your roux). Whisk in the milk, chicken broth, and onion powder. Keep cooking until the mixture resembles a thick paste or sauce, about 1 minute. Step 3: Return the chicken to the skillet, followed by the dry rice and remaining chicken broth. Step 4: Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Step 5: Stir in the broccoli, some of the shredded cheddar cheese, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp-tender. Step 6: Top with the remaining cheese and cover once more with the lid to melt the cheddar before serving! Also, a bag of chopped broccoli + cauliflower florets will also work since they both cook in approximately the same amount of time. Again, make sure there are no big honkers as I like to call them with the cauliflower or broccoli pieces.
What Kind of Rice Should I Use in the Chicken & Rice Casserole?
All rice cooks at different rates and requires a slightly different volume of liquid to cook properly. I used white rice, specifically jasmine rice, and that’s how I tested the recipe. Another long-grain white rice such as basmati is also great. This type of white rice fluffs up beautifully without clumping together after being cooked. Plus, this type of white rice cooks in about 15 minutes — a must for quick chicken dinners like this casserole! If you use other types of rice such as brown rice, long grain rice, wild rice, sushi rice, or whatever kind of rice you can think of, you run the risk of the rice not cooking through properly because it needs more liquid and/or more time. This would be especially notable if you tried to use brown rice (needs 3x the time and 2x the liquid) or wild rice. In this case the rice would be both underdone (hard and crunchy) and dry. You’d have to experiment to see just how much additional liquid + time you need to add. Also, you want rice that cooks in a “regular” amount of time, in this case 15 minutes or so. Do NOT use ‘minute rice’ or ‘quick cook’ rice. They’ll turn to mush so skip that here and save it for my very popular One Skillet Italian Sausage and Pepper with Rice dish! Add the rice to the skillet dry and uncooked. I know it feels weird adding uncooked rice plus the roux paste and the cooked chicken and onions all together, but trust me it all works out!
Can I Use Leftover Rice?
I am sure you probably could, but I haven’t tested it this way and can’t guess at the various modifications required. I know you wouldn’t need to add the broth because the rice is already cooked and won’t need that liquid volume to soften it, and if you added it, you’d end up with chicken and rice soup! And then there’s the roux, which you likely wouldn’t need to make as much, but again I don’t know. Bottom line: Make as written for optimal results!
Tips for Making the Best Stovetop Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole
Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you’re likely fine to use boneless chicken thighs. Just note that the cook time might be longer since thighs generally take a bit longer to cook through. Although being that they’re diced in bite sized pieces, it’ll only be a few minutes longer. Milk: I recommend using whole milk for best results, but 2% would probably work in a pinch. You just need some of that milkfat to thicken the roux and make the casserole creamy. Please do not use skim milk nor any very thin and watery milk or plant-based milk. Some plant based milks like cashew milk or oat milk are thicker and will likely work but I haven’t tested so can’t say for sure. Flour: You MUST cook the flour for 30+ seconds with the butter before adding the milk and broth to the skillet. If you don’t cook off the raw flour taste, your casserole will taste off. And the roux won’t form correctly and your casserole may not thicken properly. Whisk the whole time. Broccoli: I add the broccoli last because I prefer it crisp-tender. However, you may add the broccoli earlier if you like yours to be softer. I’ve learned over the years via my famous Broccoli Cheese Soup (Better-Than-Panera Copycat), that people’s preference for broccoli varies widely. What some people think is hard, others think is crisp-tender, and what I think is a mushy mess, others may think is perfect. Also note to chop the broccoli florets small, but not teeny-tiny. Fresh or Frozen Broccoli: I use fresh broccoli because I am not a fan of frozen broccoli on account of its naturally more mushy texture, but if that doesn’t bother you, you can thaw, drain, and use frozen broccoli. After you add it, just heat to warm it. It’s already soft so you don’t really need to “cook” it more.
Storage Instructions
This easy chicken broccoli rice casserole is best hot and fresh, but it will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer in an airtight container. I like to store it in individual portioned containers, especially if I freeze it. Then, I can easily reheat individual servings in the microwave for 30-second intervals whenever I need a quick and healthier lunch.
What to Serve with Chicken Broccoli Casserole
I serve this casserole as-is, or just with a basic house salad on the side. But as far as I’m concerned, this casserole is a meal in one between the carbs, protein, and vegetables so a side dish isn’t strictly necessary since this casserole is practically a meal-in-one. However, you’re welcome to serve it with one or more of the following side dishes:
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Tomato Basil Soup Apple Spinach Salad Roasted Vegetable Medley Roasted Asparagus Texas Roadhouse Rolls or No-Knead Dinner Rolls
More Easy Pasta Casserole Recipes:
Chicken Parmesan Casserole — A hearty comfort food casserole that includes juicy chicken, pasta, marinara, the BEST crispy buttery breadcrumb topping and TWO types of cheese!! A family favorite big-batch recipe that’s also great for meal prepping! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Baked Chicken Alfredo — Hearty Italian-inspired comfort food! Fettuccine noodles are tossed in a homemade alfredo sauce, topped with chicken, baked, and then finished off with crispy crunchy breadcrumbs! A classic yet easy recipe that’ll be a guaranteed family favorite! Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Casserole — Hearty comfort food that’s EASY and IRRESISTIBLE!! Cheesy pasta and beef coated in marinara sauce and topped with more CHEESE! Makes planned leftovers and is freezer-friendly! Pizza Pasta Casserole – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and for times when you want BOTH pizza AND pasta!! Ground beef, pepperoni, and oodles of cheese make this casserole pure COMFORT FOOD! Feeds a crowd! Three Cheese Baked Ziti – Mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together are divine!! An easy, make-ahead meal that’s also freezer-friendly and so tasty!! The whole family will love it! Extra Cheesy Tortellini Bake – Three-cheese tortellini baked with pasta sauce AND 3 more cheeses!! Cheese lovers will adore this easy comfort food that’s ready in 30 minutes! Cheesy Gnocchi and Meatballs — True Italian comfort food with these beef and pork homemade meatballs along with pillowy gnocchi. Everything is covered in homemade tomato sauce , smothered with cheese, and baked! Easier than it looks, and an instant family favorite that everyone will beg you to make again! Taco Spaghetti Bake — Tender spaghetti noodles are tossed in a creamy cheese sauce along with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, and cilantro!
