Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (One Pot & Easy!)
A family favorite in our meal rotation, this one pot cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole is not just delicious but quick and easy to make! Perfect for a cold day, this casserole is nourishing comfort food at its finest.
If you peruse our recipes, it won’t take long to discover that we eat a lot of soup! It’s such a nutritious and economical meal that puts to use so much of what we grow and can easily feed a crowd.
But sometimes, a change of pace is in order, and this cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole is the perfect stand in. It’s a great way to use up the leftover chicken from the weekly whole chicken we cook, along with chicken broth that we make. And with a layer of melted cheese on top, there are never any complaints when this casserole is on the menu.
Equipment Needed
One of the lovely things about this recipe is that it can be made start to finish in one pot. And when I can reduce the number of dishes I have to wash, count me in!
A dutch oven is the perfect vessel for making this casserole. This recipe starts on the stove top and then transitions to the oven, perfect for what a dutch oven can do.
We usually use our 6.75-quart dutch oven to make this recipe, which is the perfect size. But sometimes, I’ll double it to feed a crowd or serve us for 2 meals and then I cook it in a 9.5-quart dutch oven.
Ingredients Needed with Substitutions
Garlic – Fresh is best in my opinion but powdered garlic could always be swapped in a pinch.
Onion
Rice – White or brown rice will work. We typically use the medium grain organic white rice from Costco.
Chicken Broth – I think the chicken broth best compliments the flavors in this recipe but you could sub beef or vegetable broth, water, or even whey leftover from cheesemaking.
Cream – For dairy free, coconut cream is the best substitute.
Broccoli – Fresh or frozen is great in this recipe.
Cooked Chicken
Sea Salt
Shredded Cheese – We always use a combination of our shredded farmhouse cheddar and homemade mozzarella cheese but any good melting cheese will work for this casserole. If buying cheese from the store, shredding the cheese yourself tends to melt significantly better because it doesn’t have the anti-caking ingredients in pre-shredded cheese.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Begin my mincing the garlic and chopping the onion.
Sauté the garlic and onion in a small amount of cooking fat over medium heat.
Once soft and aromatic, pour the chicken broth in the pot.
When the chicken broth is boiling, add in the rice, diced chicken, broccoli, and salt.
Stir everything together, then add cream to the mixture.
Making sure the rice is fully covered by the liquid so that it will cook properly, put the lid on and cook casserole at 300°F for 35-40 minutes.
When it’s finished, remove from heat. I like to give it a stir before sprinkling cheese over the top of the whole casserole.
Return back to the oven and let cook, uncovered, for an addition 10-15 minutes until the cheese in completely melted and starting to get very lightly browned.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes! I’ll often make this cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole the day before. And then just before serving add the cheese to the top and warm it up in the oven and allow the cheese to melt.
This recipe will store well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Can you freeze cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole?
Because this casserole has cream in it, I wouldn’t recommend freezing. Cream changes texture when it’s frozen and it can cause the meal to be less appetizing.
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Recipe
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 onion, diced
– 2 tsp cooking fat
– 1.5 cups rice
– 3 cups chicken broth
– 1.5 cups cream
– 1 lb broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
– 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
– 2 tsp sea salt
– 2-3 cups shredded cheese
Directions:
1. Sauté garlic and onion in cooking fat over medium heat in a dutch oven.
2. Once soft and fragrant, add chicken broth to the pot.
3. When the broth begins to boil, add rice, chopped chicken, broccoli, and sea salt to the dutch oven.
4. Give it a stir and pour in the cream.
5. Place a lid on the dutch oven and cook at 300°F for around 35 minutes.
6. Once the rice is fully cooked, remove from oven.
7. Add shredded cheese over the top, covering the whole casserole.
8. Place casserole back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes to let the cheese cook (you may want to bump up the oven temperature to 375-400°F so the cheese melts faster).
9. When the cheese is melted and starting to lightly brown, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This means we earn a small commission at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!
More of our favorite nourishing soups and casseroles:
- Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup with Chicken
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Chicken Broccoli Potato Casserole with Cheese
Easy Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs (5 Ingredients)
A family favorite in our meal rotation, this one pot cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole is not just delicious but quick and easy to make! Perfect for a cold day, this casserole is nourishing comfort food at its finest.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tsp cooking fat
- 1.5 cups rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 cups cream
- 1 lb broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2-3 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
- Sauté garlic and onion in cooking fat over medium heat in a dutch oven.
- Once soft and fragrant, add chicken broth to the pot.
- When the broth begins to boil, add rice, chopped chicken, broccoli, and sea salt to the dutch oven.
- Give it a stir and pour in the cream.
- Place a lid on the dutch oven and cook at 300°F for around 35 minutes.
- Once the rice is fully cooked, remove from oven.
- Add shredded cheese over the top, covering the whole casserole.
- Place casserole back in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes to let the cheese cook (you may want to bump up the oven temperature to 375-400°F so the cheese melts faster).
- When the cheese is melted and starting to lightly brown, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Pin it for later!
How much rice needs to be used per recipe? That measurement was left out.
1.5 cups rice! It’s updated in the recipe now and thank you for pointing that out!