My chicken and rice casserole recipe is the ultimate in quick, hearty chicken recipes! There always seems to be a night where I have no time to put together the meal I’d wanted to.
Enter: chicken casserole recipes! I can’t tell you how many times one-dish meals like my chicken and rice casserole have saved me. I’m able to bring a full meal to my family in one easy go!
If you love the flavor of chicken and rice recipes, you’ll adore this meal. Fluffy rice, creamy sauce, tender chicken — it all cooks in one dish!
Let’s get baking!
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What I Love About Chicken Rice Casserole Recipes
A recipe doesn’t have to be complex to be a favorite! In fact, some of my favorite meals are the ones that are super easy to make. My chicken and rice casserole recipe is simple, delicious, and a definite Top Ten Best Dinners!
- One dish! Easy clean up!
- Did I mention one dish?
- Perfectly cooked chicken in a creamy sauce
- Crowd pleasing perfection!
How To Make Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe
The steps to make my chicken and rice casserole recipe couldn’t be easier! You don’t even have to have a separate bowl for mixing the ingredients — you use the baking dish. It’s magic!
Add all of the ingredients to your baking dish except the rice, chicken, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Add the rice and chicken and evenly coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, bake for 70 minutes at 400 degrees, and voila! Your meal is done!
How great was that?
Best Chicken And Rice Casserole Recipe Notes
“But Kathleen!” you say. “There’s no way your chicken and rice casserole recipe can be this easy. The ingredients must be crazy!”
Nope! I promise, every part of this recipe is made for ease and yumminess.
Chicken Casserole With Rice Ingredient Notes
Cream of Celery: You’ve likely cooked with both cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups before. But cream of celery? What’s that? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like — a cream-based celery soup that infuses your dish with celery flavor. My favorite brand to use is good ol’ Campbell’s.
Creamy Alternatives: If you don’t want to use one or any of these cream soups, there are options! Simply check out the canned soup aisle at your local store to see the plethora of cream-based soups you can pick from. Or, if you want a dairy-free option, you can make a roux with dairy-free butter.
Instant Rice: What exactly is instant rice and why is it so great in a meal like this? Instant rice is actually rice that has been fully cooked and then dehydrated. So instead of having to cook your rice, what you’re really doing is rehydrating it. That’s why it finishes so much more quickly than normal rice and is great for fast dishes like this one!
Storing Tips
The best part of this chicken and rice casserole recipe — okay, the best part of any casserole recipe — is the storage options! I’ve talked before about my lifelong desire to have a freezer full of ready-to-go casseroles. Let’s dive in and see how this recipe fits into that dream!
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! The best way to freeze this casserole is to fully cook it first. You can freeze it raw, but you risk some yucky things happening with the raw chicken during prep/thawing. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Once cooked, thoroughly cool your casserole and attach your baking dish’s lid. If you don’t have a lid, you can use foil or plastic wrap. Then pop it in your freezer, where it’ll be just fine for four to six months!
Make Ahead Tips
My chicken and rice casserole recipe is the epitome of no-time-gotta-get-it-in-the-oven-NOW. You whip together all the ingredients right in the pan! Easy, right?
If you want to speed the process up, even more, you can always mix together your creamy sauce ingredients. When you’re ready, pour it and the chicken/rice into your pan. Honestly, though, I don’t recommend going this route — you’ll actually make more work for yourself because now you have to clean the mixing bowl! Boo!
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Once cooked and cooled, your chicken and rice casserole will last up to four days in the fridge. But be sure you store your leftovers in airtight containers! The last thing you want is that yucky fridge taste in your delicious casserole.
Recipe Variations
The world of casserole recipes is vast and wonderful!
Can I Make This In An Instant Pot Or Crockpot Instead?
Yes! Instant pot chicken and rice is a wonderful way to really accelerate the cooking process. I love adding a bit more liquid to make Instant pot chicken and rice soup. The other version, Crockpot chicken and rice, is just as yummy and will make your house smell great!
Can I Use Pasta Instead?
YUM! Chicken noodle casserole is the close cousin of my chicken and rice casserole recipe, and you’ll love the flavor! Chicken tetrazzini casserole is another favorite — gives the casserole a bit of a fancy twist. And I’ve yet to find anyone who can resist my chicken bacon ranch pasta.
Can I Make This Recipe Creamier?
Three types of cream soup isn’t enough for you? Nah, me either! Go for my creamy chicken enchiladas or my creamy chicken and rice. You’ll be in dairy heaven!
Can I Make This Recipe Cheesier?
ALWAYS! Cheesy chicken and rice casserole ups the cheese factor by WOAH while cheesy chicken casserole celebrates cheddar in the best way. Another favorite is cheesy chicken enchiladas! They bake up so nicely.
What Other Chicken And Rice Recipes Can I Make?
Chicken and rice bake comes with many delicious version. If you want a Spanish twist, chicken paella is divine and surprisingly easy to make at home! Or bring take out to your kitchen with chicken fried rice. Don’t forget to buy some fortune cookies though!
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of celery soup
- 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups Instant Rice
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 1 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a 9X13 inch baking dish stir together cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, cream of mushroom soup, water, milk, poultry seasoning, dried thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, and cooled melted butter until smooth. Stir in rice and chicken until well mixed. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.
- Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked about 70 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes then sprinkle top with parsley or green onions to garnish. Serve.
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More Chicken Casserole Recipes
I have amassed quite a few chicken casserole recipes over the years. Okay, more than a few. A whole bunch.
- No Peek Chicken – You’ll have to fight hard not to look!
- Chicken Casserole With Ritz Crackers – Ritz makes it buttery and salty and YUM
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole – The fancy meal in casserole form!
- Dorito Chicken Casserole – Yep, your favorite snack, now a casserole!
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole – Take that pie and toss it in a baking dish
Conclusion
The next time you have a crazed night and can’t bring together a good meal, I hope you think of my chicken and rice casserole recipe. I love whipping these up and storing them to pull out and warm up in a pinch! This just might save your next dinnertime too.
What’s your favorite cream of soup? Let me know in the comments!
How long and what temp do I reheat this at if frozen?
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Place cold dish on counter for half an hour then reheat at 350 until heated through.