Chicken and rice casserole is great for weeknight dinners! Tender chicken is combined with cream soup, rice, and seasonings to make a delicious casserole!
This casserole is made from staple pantry ingredients and is quick to assemble, yet possesses boundless possibilities for additions and substitutions, making it perfect for every family. It's a great recipe for a weeknight dinner, a delivery to a friend, a potluck, or a large family gathering.
Casseroles are certainly known for being hearty, transportable, and appear in the hands of well-meaning neighbors so often it’s a trope. They are a famously one-dish meal: freeze-able, stackable, reheatable, and easy to make for a crowd.
Chicken and Rice Casserole absolutely needs to be one of your go-to recipes. Mix all the ingredients in minutes in one dish and bake! It’s delicious, filling, and best of all, does not require the cook to stand over a stove!
Chicken and Rice Casserole Ingredients
- Chicken
- Dry onion soup mix
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Cream of chicken soup
- Milk
- Sour cream
- Water
- Minute rice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parsley and cracked black pepper
What makes Chicken and Rice Casserole so appealing is its widely unobjectionable ingredients. In most cases, even the pickiest eaters like rice and chicken. Even so, it’s flavorful and creamy, as a casserole should be.
Tweak this recipe in a variety of ways to tailor it to your family! Maybe try a can of cream of celery instead of sour cream or add broccoli or mixed vegetables. Garnish with chives instead of parsley and maybe add in some cheese to make it cheesy.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole
FIRST STEP: In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except the parsley, which is optional for garnish.
SECOND STEP: Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
THIRD STEP: Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
FOURTH STEP: Remove the foil, cover, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Cooking Tips
Adding ½ cup cheddar cheese or ¼ cup parmesan would be delicious. Sprinkle some cheese on for the final 10 minutes to get a bubbly, browned cheesy top.
Take your rice to the next level by adding a chicken bouillon cube to the water!
This is a fantastic base recipe - definitely try adding your favorite spices to create your own version. Consider Cajun seasoning or curry powder!
Storing this Recipe
Cover and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can make this recipe ahead of time and freeze it for later. Thaw the night before and reheat for 25-30 minutes before serving.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cup chicken cooked and diced
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 2 ¼ cup milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup water
- 2 cup minute rice uncooked
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- Parsley and cracked black pepper 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 degrees.
- Remove the foil cover and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Can you substitute the onion soup mix for another soup mix?
Yeah you definitely should be able to do that!
Can I mix this altogether the night before and bake it the next day or will that ruin the rice?
I would definitely be careful about that and probably opt against it because the rice will soak up some of the moisture of the other ingredients as it sits and it could cause the dish to come out soggy and mushy. If you want to make it ahead of time, I would suggest mixing together all ingredients except for the rice and storing in the fridge. Right before you're ready to cook it, mix the rice in and put it in the casserole dish to cook. Should save a little bit of time and your rice won't be mushy as well.
I would love to make this dish ! Could i just use mushroom soup instead of using two differnt soups ?
You can totally do that! It might change the flavor just a little, but it should still turn out the same!
Can I add cooked broccoli?
Yes, you can add broccoli. If frozen you don’t need to cook it prior to mixing the casserole together, unless you prefer extra soft broccoli.
Can I use cheese tortellini in place of rice?
Yes, you can use cooked tortellini instead of the cooked rice.
Great idea,ty
Superb recipe looking forward to making !