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Dinner doesn't get easier or more delicious than this cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, made in just one pan, with a few simple ingredients.
Here's what a nerd I am when it comes to cooking: for my 14th birthday a friend gave me a cookbook, and it was one of my favorite gifts! It was a compilation of favorite recipes from close friends, and one of the recipes was this cheesy chicken and rice casserole.
What I love about Chicken and Rice Casserole:
- One pan: throw everything together in a casserole dish and bake. This makes for low prep and easy clean-up! I love recipes where the oven does all of the work. Check out my other one-pan recipes!
- Kid friendly: The end result is another kid-friendly recipe that's delicious and flavorful. The perfect comfort food for a fast weeknight meal or Sunday dinner that requires hardly any prep.
- Adaptable: Like most casserole dishes, there are plenty of variations you can make to this recipe. See more ideas below in the post.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Casserole:
1. Prep rice mixture: Add rice, cream of soups, milk, water and onion soup seasoning to a bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
2. Add chicken: nestle chicken breasts into the rice mixture.
3. Bake: Cover the dish with aluminum foil (the pan will be very full!) and bake for 1 hour 30 min to 2 hours , or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. (Mine usually bakes in 1.5 hours, but time may vary depending on oven, altitude and other variables).
4. Top with cheese and serve. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh roasted veggies or a green salad.
Recipe Variations:
Cheese: leave it out, or substitute Colby jack, mozzarella or Swiss.
Rice: Minute rice will not work with this recipe. Brown rice would require additional liquid (at least ½ cup) and longer cooking time, so if using brown rice, I suggest using chicken thighs, instead of breasts, so the chicken doesn't overcook/dry out.
Herbs: if you'd like to add additional flavor, consider adding fresh thyme, parsley, freshly minced garlic or garnish with fresh basil.
Broccoli Chicken and Rice: add 2 cups chopped broccoli florets to the casserole before baking.
Veggies: Feel free to add chopped mushrooms, onions, green peppers, green beans, broccoli, etc.
Cream of soup: My homemade version is so easy and delicious but you can use any type of cream of soup for this recipes including chicken, mushroom, or celery.
Instant Pot Chicken and Rice: Reduce water to ½ cup and milk to 1 cup. Only use 1 can of cream of soup. Cook on high pressure/manual setting for 8-10 minutes (depending on thickness of the chicken breasts). Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes.
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: This is a great make-ahead recipe. Prepare the dish but do not bake. Cover it well and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before baking.
To freeze: Prepare the dish but do not bake. Cover it well with plastic wrap and tinfoil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking, uncovered.
Consider trying these popular one-pan meals:
- One pan baked salmon and vegetables
- One pan creamy lemon chicken tortellini
- One pan chicken fajita pasta
- One pan skillet lasagna
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup, (or homemade)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups milk
- 1 batch homemade onion soup mix, , or one envelope Lipton onion soup mix
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, , divided
- 3 thick boneless skinless chicken breasts, , or thighs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13'' pan (or similar size casserole dish) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add rice, cream of soups, milk, water and onion soup seasoning to a bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Nestle chicken breasts into the rice mixture. Cover the dish with aluminum foil (the pan will be very full!) and bake for 1 hour 30 min to 2 hours , or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. (Mine usually bakes in 1.5 hours, but time may vary depending on oven, altitude and other variables).
- Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Serve with fresh steamed veggies or a green salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe March 2017. Updated September 2020.
My family loves this recipe! I cook the rice first in chicken broth and cut the chicken up then mix everything with cheese on top It’s perfection
I cut up the chicken as well but I feel like when I cooked this it was so bland and I had to cook it for over 2 hrs but that’s probably because my oven isn’t very good.
What rice ? The article said don’t use Instant white rice . I may have said their name wrong .
In this recipe, it calls for long-grain white rice.
I use shredded chicken! I have found it is much more flavorful when I have shredded chicken, rather than chicken breasts or big chunks of chicken.
This was a wonderful recipe for a Chicken and Rice casserole. No, it was a fantastic recipe!
I’m very confused why so many people had poor results after making this dish. I followed the recipe exactly, no changes or substitutions, and it came out perfectly. My family and I love it. Note: It was fully cooked after 1.5 hours.
Yeah it won’t work in the instapot at all. This is a terrible recipe. I wonder if the people posting these have ever actually made them before. I just ruined a dinner.
It’s not a terrible recipe. When made It’s a good tasting meal. It just should just recommend against using an InstantPot.
Yeah, should have read the reviews. It was way too soupy and mushy. The chicken was chewy and stringy instead of moist and tender. Very disappointing. What a waste of time and ingredients. I will not be making this ever again and I think the leftovers are garbage.
Like the others, I should’ve read the reviews before cooking. It was all mush, good flavour, but wayyyy too much liquid….i had to wait and make extra rice to eat with it, otherwise it was just mushroom soup with a chicken breast in it.
I haven’t made it yet. Can I put this in the Instant Pot, (exactly the same)?
Instant pots can be really finicky–not sure that I feel like I can weigh in on that without testing it myself but let me know if you try it!
I wish I had read the reviews before making this. The ratio of liquid to rice gave me pause, but the high rating made me decide to trust it and just go with it. Ugh. It was a soupy disgusting mess. You couldn’t even tell there was rice in the pan. I think you could double the rice and maybe it would work. I’m so disappointed because I started the recipe at 5:00pm and it is now 7:30pm and we haven’t even eaten because now I’m making rice separately and waiting for the chicken to finish cooking. It was raw after 1:45 in the oven, probably because of the soup it was sitting in.
Don’t waist your time! Soupy and flavorless. I followed recipe exactly and used 2 cups rice. 2 hours of disappointment.
Recipe was VERY soupy despite me following directions very carefully. Had to cook longer without tinfoil and add extra cooked rice to thicken.
I really don’t understand all the bad reviews on this one. I subbed a couple of items but otherwise followed the recipe and it turned out great. My husband and I both enjoyed it and will be making it again.
Great recipe, I found the liquid to be just the right amount for my taste. It made a nice creamy casserole. It was not soupy but creamy. If you like a dry casserole which some people prefer, then you would want to lower the liquid a little.
I added extra seasonings for my taste, and the recipe was delicious. My kids loved it too. I did use half as much milk and replaced the milk with chicken broth and it was really good.
I find the picture is an honest picture, if that’s what you’re wanting to make for consistency then the liquid is the proper amount of liquid.
Just posting because I had seen so many negative reviews for the liquid amount I almost didn’t do the recipe. But I found the liquid to be right.