Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Casserole
A classic casserole filled with rice, shredded chicken, sautéed vegetables and a creamy sauce
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Servings: 6
Calories: 200kcal
Cost: 25
Ingredients
- 3 cups white or brown rice cooked
- 4 cups chicken breasts roasted and shredded
- 2 cups fresh broccoli trimmed into florets
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced fine
- 1 cup large yellow onion diced
- 14 oz can diced green chilies
- 8 TBSP unsalted butter divided
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup 2% or whole milk
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (one bar) softened
- 1 cup water or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese shredded, more if desired to top casserole
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 TBSP dry mustard
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp tumeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 sleeve Rtiz Crackers crushed
Instructions
Cook the Rice and Chicken
- Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the chicken. Bake at chicken at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperate reaches 165 degrees F. Once baked, set aside to cool.
- Cook the rice according to package directions. Add the cooked rice to the bottom of an oven safe 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Take the cooled chicken and shred. Scatter the chicken on top of the rice. Set aside. If using a rotisserie chicken, shred the meat taking care to remove any bones.
- In a large pot or Dutch Oven, add 2 TBSP of butter and sauté onions, peppers and broccoli for five minutes until just tender. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the chilies. Pour the vegetables on top of the chicken and rice. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Make the Sauce/ Roux
- In the same large pot or Dutch Oven you cooked the vegetables, melt the remaining butter over medium low heat. Add flour to the melted butter and whisk constantly until flour is cooked through, about 1-2 minutes, and begins to resemble a thick paste. Do not leave unattended and do not allow the roux to burn .Add milk slowly, whisking constantly until smooth. Pour in the chicken broth and continuing whisking to incorporate all the ingredients well.
- Add the softened cream cheese in pieces to the roux. Stir cream cheese until it has dissolved and thickened into the sauce. About 1 minute.
- Add turmeric, dry mustard, paprika and garlic salt. Whisk until well blended.
- Once sauce is thick, on very low heat, add cheddar and parmesan and whisk in until melted.
- Finally, if needed, add salt and pepper to taste and water or chicken broth if sauce is too thick to pour. Cover pot, remove from heat, but keep warm.
To assemble the casserole
- In the 9 x 13 pan, you should have the layered the rice, chicken and vegetables. Next, pour over all of the sauce. Top with crushed Ritz Crackers or Panko Bread Crumbs
- Bake at 350 degrees UNCOVERED until brown and bubbling.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 200kcal