Name: Chicken Rice Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 cup diced onion; 1 cup diced celery; 2 cloves minced garlic; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup chicken stock; 1/2 cup milk; salt and pepper; 3 cups cooked long grain rice; 2 cups cooked chicken breast (shredded or diced); 2 cups cheddar cheese (grated, divided); 4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon; 2 tablespoons scallions (chopped, for garnish)

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A delicious chicken and rice casserole (super easy, and super cheesy) to make for your family. Using pantry staples this is a weeknight winner sure to make everyone want seconds!

If you love hearty chicken-and-rice dishes, you should also give Arroz con Pollo a try – it’s a flavorful Latin-inspired one-pot chicken & rice dinner.

Step-by-step photos and instructions are below. Jump to the recipe card if you wish!

A close up a spoon with chicken and rice casserole on it

I absolutely love this rice casserole recipe. It is perfect for the family and uses ingredients I typically have in my pantry and fridge.

It also involves bacon, and who doesn’t love that? (Vegetarians need not respond, thanks!)

My family loves this recipe too. When I pull this out of the oven I truly don’t have to fight with my kids to get this in their bellies. They grouse a little about the “green stuff” aka celery, but ultimately, they eat it.

This is a great one to make ahead and assemble. Let it hang out in the refrigerator and bake it when you get home to reheat and to brown the top.

I consider this to be one of the ultimate comfort foods, as it’s very much a stick-to-your-ribs, fill-your-belly, kind of meal. A major bonus is that it can use up leftovers hanging out in your fridge, so it’s budget-friendly as well as delicious!

Anything that cleans out the refrigerator and makes my family run to the table earns its place on the regular dinner rotation.

Check out my Jambalaya, Creamy Sausage Pasta or my Smoked Sausage Rice Skillet!

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You won’t really need a side dish for this rice recipe, but if you need one, I suggest a simple salad (maybe this Arugula Salad) or some Sauteed Green Beans,

Why you’ll love this

Super easy to make. No need for a culinary degree! You will need a little prep time to include cooking the chicken and rice – but if you have them leftover from another meal, you can pull this together much more quickly!
Family-friendly. The whole family enjoys this, and will even eat the leftovers if you are lucky enough to have any.
This recipe is great for weeknights. Make this in 30 minutes or less!

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Equipment Needed

You will need a 9 x 13 Casserole Dish. You could make this in two dishes if you prefer (or have a smaller family). One for tonight, one for another night this week. Or, of course, you could halve the recipe if that works better for you!

Step-by-step photos and tips and tricks are below. Jump to the full recipe card instead

Key Recipe Ingredients

Note: This highlights some ingredients. Full list is in the recipe card.

Butter. This means salted butter
Onion. We need about a cup, which is a medium-sized onion diced up.
Celery. This is optional (I suppose), but really does add a great flavor to the base of this recipe.
Garlic. I say throw in as much as you like. Much like vanilla extract, I measure garlic with my heart, not a spoon.
Flour. This is used to thicken the sauce
Stock. You could use chicken stock or vegetable stock.
Milk. Any kind you like. I use 2%
Cooked rice. Use leftover rice from the chinese takeout you ordered the other day, or cook some fresh.
Chicken. I use cooked chicken breasts, or pull apart a rotisserie chicken.
Cheese. Use one you like. Monterey jack is good, but sharp cheddar is my favorite.
Bacon. You could use store bought bacon crumbles if you wish.
Scallions. Also known as green onions. While they are there for decoration, I do love the fresh onion-y flavor they bring to the finished dish.

How to make this recipe

This is a step-by-step photo guide. Full ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

Jump

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion and celery until softened.

Add the garlic, and cook a further 30 seconds.

Sprinkle flour over the top and mix well.

Whisk in the stock and milk and cook until thickened.

Season to taste with salt/pepper.

Add the rice, chicken, and 1/2 cup cheddar and bacon (keep some for sprinkling) and mix until well combined.

Top with remaining cheddar and bake until the cheese melts and browns (about 15 minutes – depending on your oven temperature, you may need more cook time).

Garnish with scallions and extra bacon.

Devour.

Kylee’s Notes

I use leftover chicken or pull apart a rotisserie chicken and use that. You could poach some chicken breasts to use in your rice mixture. You want to be sure your chicken is cooked, as the time in the oven is basically for top browning, not chicken cooking.

Leftover rice is good in this recipe too, but if you don’t have any – just cook some up and you’ll be good to go. Instant rice is a good option if you need this fast!

What do do with leftovers

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and reheat until piping hot in microwave.

Substitutions/Additions

You can use brown rice if you prefer it to white.

You could substitute the butter/flour/chicken broth/milk mixture and use a condensed cream soup like cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup)

I use cheddar cheese, sometimes mixed with Monterey Jack. Whatever you happen to have will work!

More delicious comfort food:

Chicken Divan. It’s broccoli, chicken, cheese and a crunchy topping. You will make this family favorite over and over!
Tuna Noodle Casserole. This old-time classic tuna casserole will bring you right back to childhood. Budget-friendly and easy to double for a crowd!
Tater Tot Casserole. Make this one in the crockpot!
Chicken Noodle Soup. Simple, but full of flavor! Use basic ingredients.
All Comfort Food

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About Kylee Ayotte

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee

5 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

3 Comments

Leslie says:

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So good! I seasoned and cooked the chicken for this recipe with some home made rotisserie chicken seasoning. it tastes like a handed down recipe ❤️ Really delicious and going into the recipes to make monthly!

Katherine Horton says:

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If I use cream soup do I dilute it first??

1. Kylee says:
  
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  You will need 1.5 cups of liquid. Add some milk or water if necessary