Make this delicious cheesy chicken and rice casserole loaded with broccoli and cheddar cheese! This dinner recipe is so creamy and comforting and everything is made in one pot!
What can be better than making the whole dinner in one pot! This Chicken and Rice casserole, loaded with broccoli and sharp cheddar cheese is a perfect comfort meal that’s so easy to make even if you are a beginner cook.
Like my Healthy Chicken Dinner Ideas recipes for Chicken Broccoli Ziti and One Pot Chicken and Rice, you can make this meal with minimum effort.
And if you like comfort One Pot Meals, check out my Easy Chicken Stew Recipe, Dutch Oven Short Ribs, Dutch Oven Beef Stew, Cheesy Baked Ziti, Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe, and Beef Chili.
Why you will love it
Well, there are so many reasons why you will want to keep this recipe on your weekly rotation.
- One Pot Meal. Everything is made in one pot! No need to spend the rest of the evening washing multiple pots and pans!
- Easy to make. The cooking time should take not more than 40 minutes from start to finish. Plus, all the steps are very simple.
- So Comforting and Cheesy. This is a great meal for when you crave something comforting but want to stay on the healthier side.
How to make it
We can start with cutting the chicken breasts into 1×1-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper and mix it up.
Preheat the pan to medium/high heat and add olive oil.
When the oil is hot, add the cubed chicken and brown it on all sides for about 5-7 minutes. (Photos 1-2)
NOTE: At this point, we don’t need to cook the meat through, as it will finish cooking later. We just want some brown crust for additional flavor.
NOTE: If you have a lot of chicken, you can brown it in two batches. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan, as it will start to boil instead of browning.
When the chicken is browned, transfer it to a plate and set aside.
Add chopped onion and cook it for about 5 minutes, until it gets soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds to release the aroma. (Photos 3-5)
Add the browned chicken back to the pot.
Now we can add rinsed rice, chicken stock, and water. Mix everything and bring it to boil. Then lower the heat to low and cover with the lid. (Photos 6-9)
After 10 minutes, add chopped broccoli and stir. Cover with the lid again and cook until the rice is fully cooked, stirring occasionally. (Photos 10-11)
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
When the rice is cooked, add milk and stir. Then add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar and fold it in. (Photos 12-14)
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and transfer the pan to the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. (Photo 15)
Tips for best results
- For this recipe, I like to use a pan with a heavy bottom (like this casserole), so nothing gets burned and you can put it safely in the oven.
- When browning the meat, I like to do it in two batches, so it doesn’t release its juices and gets a beautiful golden color.
- Also, when you put the meat on the pan, don’t touch it until you are ready to flip it. That help with better browning.
- If you want to use frozen broccoli, let it defrost for 20-30 minutes before adding to the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make it a day before, skip the cheesy topping, and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes, sprinkle cheese on top, then put in the oven. Bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes.
Long grain white rice, like Basmati, should work the best. Arborio (which is used for Risottos) will work as well and will be even creamier. I wouldn’t recommend to use brown rice, as it takes longer to cook.
After it’s cooled off completely, transfer to an air-tight container. You can keep it in the fridge for about 2 days.
Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into 1×1-inch cubes
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups white long grain rice rinsed
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups broccoli florets roughly chopped
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1×1-inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper and mix it up.
- Preheat the pan to medium/high heat and add olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown it on all sides for about 5-7 minutes.
- NOTE: At this point, we don’t need to cook the meat through, as it will finish cooking later. We just want some brown crust for additional flavor.
- NOTE: If you have a lot of chicken, you can brown it in two batches. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan, as it will start to boil instead of browning.
- When the chicken is browned, transfer it to a plate and set aside.
- Add chopped onion and cook it for about 5 minutes, until it gets soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds to release the aroma.
- Add the browned chicken back to the pot.
- Now we can add rinsed rice, chicken stock, and water. Mix everything and bring it to boil. Then lower the heat to low and cover with the lid.
- After 10 minutes, add chopped broccoli and stir. Cover with the lid again and cook until the rice is fully cooked, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- When the rice is cooked, add milk and stir. Then add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar and fold it in.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and transfer the pan to the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Notes
- For this recipe, I like to use a pan with a heavy bottom (like this casserole), so nothing gets burned and you can put it safely in the oven.
- When browning the meat, I like to do it in two batches, so it doesn’t release its juices and gets a beautiful golden color.
- Also, when you put the meat on the pan, don’t touch it until you are ready to flip it. That help with better browning.
- If you want to use frozen broccoli, let it defrost for 20-30 minutes before adding to the pot.
If I skip the chicken will the amount of the other ingredients differ?
Hi Brandy! No, the amount of other ingredients will be the same.
Made this tonight and my whole family loved it! My picky 7 year old, 1 year old and husband ate it and all wanted seconds. I used half and half instead of regular milk and it was super creamy and delicious. Will definitely be making and freezing this in preparation for after baby #3 arrives in March!
Thank you so much, Libby! I’m so happy that your whole family loved the recipe! Congratulations on the baby #3!
I made this yesterday and followed your recipe to a T.
My family found it bland – any suggestions to jazz it up? Spices? Peppers? Sauces?
I added some boullion and extra spices to mine. Was a good base, but I had a feeling it would be a bit bland based on the ingredients list. I also added extra garlic and used a big onion.
I love one pot meals! The less we have to clean the better 🙂 This looks like a great, comforting weeknight meal. I’m a dark-meat girl, so I would switch to chicken thighs but other than that this recipe looks perfect
Chicken and rice… does it get any better? 🙂 Love this combo as much as I am sure you love it, too. Fantastic meal to make over the weekend by the way!
This dish looks super tasty and seems like a quick and easy meal for weeknights! Can’t wait to try
This is what I call simple comfort food…what a delicious meal for the whole family and easy too for weeknights. Who could ever resist such a cheesy dish?! 😀
This cheesy broccoli chicken and rice casserole is not only easy to make, but its also delicious! My family loved it!
What a creamy and comforting dinner casserole. Drooling here. I would love to try this out soon. Thanks for sharing
This cheesy broccoli chicken looks perfect for a quick dinner! i want to make this for me and my family tonight, as i have all the ingrediants needed! this looks soo delicious, i cant wait to try this out.
This was such a wonder dinner! I loved how quickly and easily this dish came together. Thank you so much for this amazing chicken dinner recipe!
This dish looks so comforting and cheesy. I’m wondering…could I also make this casserole with leftover rice and chicken? Maybe leave out some of the liquid? I usually have chicken and rice ready to go in my fridge.