Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
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You only need one dish to make this easy baked Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole. The broccoli, rice, and chicken all cook together in a creamy sauce that’s tossed with plenty of cheese and topped with a crunchy cracker topping. With just 10 minutes of prep time to add all of the ingredients to a baking dish, it’s easy to make this casserole for a simple meal!
Why you’ll love this casserole
What started with this Broccoli Cheese Casserole in 2020, has led to this Broccoli Mac and Cheese recipe and now this Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole. Needless to say, I loved the original side dish so much that I knew I had to make it into as many meals as possible!
This is one of our go-to family dinners, and here’s why I know you’ll love it.
- It has delicious layers of texture. The casserole is filled with fluffy rice, tender pieces of chicken, crisp broccoli, all tossed in a creamy, cheesy sauce, then topped with a crunchy Ritz cracker topping. Needless to say, it covers all the textures in every bite!
- It’s so easy to make. This “dump-and-bake” casserole is so easy to make because all you have to do is dump everything in a casserole dish and bake it! This means easy prep and easy clean-up for an easy dinner. A win-win for busy weeknights!
- It’s a warm bowl of comfort food that the entire family will love. This casserole is the perfect comfort food meal that can feed up to 8 people, so it’s great for a family dinner! The leftovers are also really delicious, so don’t worry if you’re not feeding 8 people. I’ve made it just for me and my husband and we’ve enjoyed the leftovers the rest of the week.
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this chicken broccoli rice casserole recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup – this can of soup makes a great creamy base for the casserole. You could also use cream of mushroom soup, if you’d like to add the flavor of mushrooms into the dish.
- Chicken broth – you can purchase chicken broth in a can or box at the grocery store, or make it at home. I found this Custom Culinary Chicken Base at a restaurant supply store in San Diego and absolutely love it. You can order it online. It’s a little expensive for chicken bouillon, but oh my gosh the flavor is so good.
- Heavy cream – this adds to the creamy base of the casserole.
- Italian seasoning – you can click the link to the left to make my easy homemade seasoning blend in less than 5 minutes, or pick up a jar of pre-made Italian seasoning at the grocery store.
- Salt and black pepper – to season the casserole.
- Long-grain white rice – this variety of rice will cook up perfectly in the casserole without becoming overcooked and mushy.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you’ll want to dice the chicken into 1 inch bite-sized pieces, so they’re easy to eat in the casserole after it’s baked. If you prefer chicken thighs, you can use them instead. Or if you prefer to start with cooked chicken, you can use two cups of cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Broccoli florets – I prefer to use fresh broccoli for the best flavor and texture in the casserole, but you could substitute in frozen broccoli if that’s all you have on hand.
- Cheddar cheese – I recommend grating an 8 ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese for this recipe. It will melt better than purchasing pre-grated cheese at the grocery store.
- Buttery round crackers (such as Ritz) – you can use bread crumbs in place of the Ritz crackers. But I love the flavor of the crumbled Ritz crackers, and I think you will too!
- Butter – melted and combined with the crushed crackers to make the topping.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make the creamy base. Add a can of cream of chicken soup to a 9 inch by 13 inch casserole dish. Add chicken broth, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk the mixture together.
- Add the other ingredients. Add fresh broccoli florets, uncooked rice, pieces of raw chicken, and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir to combine everything and make sure that all of the ingredients are evenly distributed across the casserole.
- Bake the casserole. Cover the casserole tightly with foil. Place it in a preheated oven at 350°F for 40 minutes.
- Prepare the topping. While the casserole is baking in the oven, combine melted butter, crushed crackers and shredded cheddar cheese in a small bowl. After the casserole has been in the oven for 40 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the cracker topping evenly over the casserole. Bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes.
Recipe tips
- You can make this chicken broccoli casserole ahead of time. Store it, covered in the fridge, for up to 2 days before baking.
- If using frozen broccoli, be sure to thaw it first, either in the refrigerator or microwave. Pat the broccoli dry after it’s thawed so that no extra moisture is added to the casserole.
- You DO NOT need to blanch the broccoli before you make the casserole. Adding fresh broccoli right into the casserole means you end up with broccoli that keeps it’s shape and doesn’t turn into mush.
- To make this casserole gluten free, replace the Ritz crackers in the topping with 1 cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs.
Storage and reheating
Store leftover chicken broccoli rice casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If reheating a large portion of the casserole, I recommend placing it in an oven-safe dish. Cover the dish and reheat the casserole for 15-20 minutes in a 350°F oven. Uncover the casserole during the last 5 minutes to crisp up the cracker topping.
If reheating a single serving of the casserole, you can place it on a plate and microwave it for 2-3 minutes to heat it up.
I do not recommend freezing this casserole, as heavy cream and cheese do not freeze well.
More cheesy recipes
Add all of these easy, cheesy recipes to your menu for lots of delicious comfort food meals!
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, clink link for recipe
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 8 ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, grated into 2 ¼ cups shredded cheese
Cracker topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 30 buttery crackers, like Ritz (crushed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth and heavy cream to a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish. Season with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Whisk to combine everything in the baking dish, then add the white rice, chicken and broccoli. Stir to combine everything and make sure that all of the ingredients are evenly distributed across the casserole.
- Reserve ¼ cup cheddar cheese for topping the casserole, stir the remaining shredded cheese into the casserole dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, crushed crackers and reserved ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Uncover the casserole after 40 minutes, sprinkle the cracker topping evenly over the casserole and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Notes
- You can make this chicken broccoli casserole ahead of time. Store it, covered in the fridge, for up to 2 days before baking.
- To make this casserole gluten free, replace the Ritz crackers in the topping with 1 cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs.
- Store leftover chicken broccoli rice casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
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