Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is a classic dinner casserole that everyone will love. Topped with a crunchy bacon and Ritz cracker topping, it’s a filling and delicious weeknight dinner that’s simple to make with everyday ingredients.
Broccoli Rice Casserole is one of our favorite side dishes and it’s super easy to turn it into a main dish casserole by adding leftover smoked chicken. You can also take a shortcut with a rotisserie chicken from the deli for this tasty family dinner.
Ingredients for Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Smoked Chicken or Rotisserie Chicken
- Rice
- Frozen Broccoli
- Chicken Broth
- Water Chestnuts
- Green Onions
- Colby or Cheddar Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Heavy Cream
- Spicy Brown Mustard
- Rosemary
- Salt & Pepper
- Cooked Bacon
- Ritz Crackers
- Butter
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Bake bacon in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Add broth and rice to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and lower to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add broccoli over rice, do not stir. Cover and continue to cook 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, dice or shred chicken. Chop water chestnuts and green onions.
- Shred cheese.
- In a casserole dish mix sour cream, heavy cream, chicken broth, mustard, rosemary, salt & pepper.
- Add chicken, water chestnuts, green onions and half of shredded cheese.
- Mix well.
- Add rice and broccoli to casserole dish.
- Stir until all combined.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, crush crackers into a bowl and mix with crumbled bacon and butter.
- Remove casserole from oven and top with bacon and cracker mixture.
- Return to oven for another 10- 15 minutes until crackers are toasted and casserole is bubbly around the edges.
- Serve immediately.
Make Ahead
Prep the casserole to the point of baking but do not add the cheese on top until just before you place it in the oven. Tightly wrap casserole dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to a day in advance.
If you are using a glass casserole dish, bring to room temperature before baking.
Chicken Broccoli and Rice is also a great dish to meal prep. The chicken, rice, broccoli and bacon can all be cooked in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the casserole.
How to Store and Reheat
Store cooled casserole covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
To reheat, place in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in a 325° oven for about 15- 20 minutes or until heated through.
Can be reheated in a non stick skillet with about a tablespoon of butter over medium heat, stir often until heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits or Garlic Bread go great with this casserole and add a nice green salad to round out your meal.
If you are looking for a quick weeknight dinner, this easy Chicken Stir Fry is always a family favorite and our kids can’t get enough of this Chicken Burrito Cassserole. Chicken Broccoli Casserole is another easy weeknight dinner that we can’t get enough of.
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Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is a great go-to dinner for those nights when you can’t decide what to cook. Add it to your meal plan this week and let me know how it turns out!
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Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth divided use
- 10 ounces Frozen Broccoli
- 8 oz water chestnuts drained and coarsely chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions
- 8 ounces shredded Colby or cheddar cheese divided use
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- ½ tablespoon minced rosemary
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers crushed into crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Add rice to a saucepan with 3 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add broccoli over rice but do not stir. Cover and continue to cook 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a casserole dish, whisk together sour cream, heavy cream, remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth, mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Mix in diced chicken, water chestnuts, green onions and half of cheese.
- Stir in cooked rice and broccoli and mix until well combined.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combined crushed Ritz crackers with crumbled bacon and butter.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle cracker and bacon mixture evenly over casserole.
- Return to oven for 10 -15 minutes until cracker crumbs are toasted and edges of casserole are bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
