How to make broccoli rice cheese and chicken casserole

My easy, cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole is loaded with creamy chicken sauce, tender chicken, broccoli, rice, and cheese flavors! It's a long-time family favorite casserole that works wonderfully for feeding a hungry crowd any night of the week!

My easy cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole has all the flavor of a delicious home-cooked meal packed in a single dish! The use of simple ingredients cuts back on both prep and cook time for a casserole that can be thrown together in under an hour.

With the rich, creamy chicken and cheese sauce, tender broccoli and chicken, and perfectly cooked rice, you don't need any sides! This is a recipe my family has been enjoying for years and it's just too good not to share!

An Easy Casserole That’s Great for Weeknight Dinners!

• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
• 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
• 😋 More Awesome Casseroles
• 📋 Recipe

🥘 Ingredients

There are no crazy or hard-to-find ingredients in this easy recipe. You can make my chicken broccoli rice casserole with breadcrumbs or without breadcrumbs, it's good either way!

• Olive Oil - ½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
• Chicken Breasts - 1 pound of boneless, skinless breasts or use boneless, skinless chicken thighs - cut into bite size chunks.
• Seasoning - ½ a teaspoon of both salt & pepper (more or less to taste), ½ a teaspoon of onion powder, and ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Long Grain White Rice - 1 cup of rice + 1¾ cup water or chicken broth.
• Broccoli Florets - 4 cups of broccoli florets. You may use the frozen steamable broccoli in place of fresh. 10-16 ounces of frozen broccoli is the equivalent of 4 cups of fresh florets.
• Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup - 1 10.5-ounce can.
• Cheddar Cheese Condensed Soup - 1 10.5-ounce can.
• Milk - 1 ½ cups milk. I prefer whole milk, but any will do.
• Cheddar Cheese - 1 cup of shredded cheddar.
• Panko Breadcrumbs (optional) - ½ cup of plain Panko, regular breadcrumbs, Ritz crackers or potato chips work as well.

*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

There's nothing too complicated here. You're going to need a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, a 9x13 baking dish, a rubber spatula, and a grater if you decide to add onion (*see note).

1. Pan fry chicken. In a large skillet with a fitted lid, heat a ½ tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add 1 pound of cut pieces of chicken breast (or thighs) and season generously with a ½ teaspoon of both salt & pepper (more or less to taste), ½ a teaspoon of onion powder, and ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder. Pan fry the bite-size pieces of chicken until they are no longer pink inside, then remove from skillet and set aside.
2. Cook rice. In the same skillet with the chicken pan juices, add 1 cup of white rice and stir. Then, add 1¾ cup of water or chicken broth. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook on low for 10 minutes.
3. Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease your 9x13 baking pan or a 2.5 quart casserole dish, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Add broccoli. Stir the 4 cups of broccoli florets in with the rice, return the lid, and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes on low heat.
5. Make sauce. As the rice and broccoli cook, combine a 10.5-ounce can of cream of chicken soup with a 10.5-ounce can of cheddar cheese condensed soup and 1 ½ cups milk in your prepared baking dish. Stir in the cooked chicken, then add the rice and broccoli when it is done.
6. Bake. Top the casserole with 1 cup of shredded cheddar and a ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs, if using. After that, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and golden.
7. Cool and serve. Once the casserole is ready, remove it from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

This one-dish meal doesn't really require any sides! I sometimes offer up a basket of tasty cheese rolls if we are feeling extra hungry. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

• A great recipe for using up leftovers! If you have any leftover rice, rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or any mildly-seasoned chicken laying around, feel free to use it!
• Add onion for extra flavor. If desired, you can finely mince or grate half of a medium-sized white or yellow onion and saute it with your chicken!
• Great for making ahead! This casserole freezes well and reheats like a dream. It is perfect for meal prepping lunches and dinners!
• Storing: Leftover casserole can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months! Thaw frozen casserole in the fridge overnight
• Reheating: Reheat your leftovers in an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C) until heated through, about 20-30 minutes depending on how much casserole there is.

😋 More Awesome Casseroles

• Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
• Ham and Potato Casserole
• Tater Tot Hamburger Casserole
• Mexican Cornbread Casserole
• Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Doritos Chicken Casserole

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📋 Recipe

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (Super Cheesy Family Favorite Dinner!)

My easy, cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole is loaded with creamy chicken sauce, tender chicken, broccoli, rice, and cheese flavors! It's a long-time family favorite casserole that works wonderfully for feeding a hungry crowd any night of the week!

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 337kcal

Prep 5 minutes

Cooking 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

• ▢ ½ tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
• ▢ 1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless breasts or use boneless, skinless chicken thighs - cut into bite size chunks)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 cup long grain white rice (+ 1¾ cup water or chicken broth)
• ▢ 4 cups broccoli florets
• ▢ 10.5 oz cream of chicken condensed soup
• ▢ 10.5 oz cheddar cheese condensed soup
• ▢ 1 ½ cups milk
• ▢ 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
• ▢ ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs (optional, plain)

• Heat a large skillet (that has a fitted lid) with the olive oil to medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the cut pieces of chicken breasts or thighs and season generously. Pan fry the bite-size pieces of chicken until they are no longer pink inside, then remove from skillet and set aside.

  ½ tablespoon olive oil, 1 lb chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon each, salt & pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• Use the same skillet (with the pan juices from frying the chicken). Add the rice and stir it into the juices, then stir in the water or chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook on low for 10 minutes.

  1 cup long grain white rice

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease your 9x13 baking pan or a 2.5 quart casserole dish, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.

• Stir in the broccoli florets, return the cover, and continue cooking an additional 5-7 minutes on low heat.

  4 cups broccoli florets

• While your rice and broccoli is cooking, combine the cream of chicken and cheddar cheese condensed soups with milk in your prepared baking dish. Stir the cooked chicken in with the sauce then finally, add the cooked rice and broccoli.

  10.5 oz cream of chicken condensed soup, 10.5 oz cheddar cheese condensed soup, 1 ½ cups milk

• Top with shredded cheddar cheese and optional Panko breadcrumbs then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and golden.

  1 cup cheddar cheese, ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs

• Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving, about 5 minutes.

• This is one of those recipes that is ideal for using leftover ingredients. You can speed this along if you have leftover rice, rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or any chicken leftovers with mild seasoning.
• The frozen steamable broccoli is another time-saver ingredient to swap for fresh broccoli.
• Use 10-16 ounces of frozen broccoli to substitute for the 4 cups fresh broccoli florets.
• If desired, finely dice or grate about half of a medium-sized white or yellow onion and saute the onion with the chicken.

Calories: 337kcal (17%) | Carbohydrates: 33g (11%) | Protein: 22g (44%) | Fat: 13g (20%) | Saturated Fat: 5g (31%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg (20%) | Sodium: 821mg (36%) | Potassium: 656mg (19%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 4g (4%) | Vitamin A: 734IU (15%) | Vitamin C: 41mg (50%) | Calcium: 211mg (21%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

cheesy chicken and rice, Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, chicken rice bake

Course Casseroles, Chicken Dishes, Dinner Recipes

Cuisine American

Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!