Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (One Dish Dump-and-Bake!)
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is loaded with chicken, rice, broccoli, cheese, and alfredo sauce for an easy, comforting, dump-and-bake dinner that can be mixed directly in the baking dish before popping in the oven!
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For more easy chicken dinners, you'll also love Easy Baked Panko Chicken, Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken, or Homemade Chicken Nuggets!
As much as I love one-pot recipes that are quickly and easily made on the stove with only one pot to clean, my next favorite category of easy dinners would probably be of the dump-and-bake variety. And this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole beautifully fits into that category!
Not only is this dinner recipe cozy and comforting and delicious...but it's also as effortless as stirring together the ingredients -- right in the baking dish! -- and popping it straight into the oven!
With chunks of chicken, wholesome broccoli, and tender rice in a cheesy, creamy white sauce, Cheesy Chicken and Rice is appealing to all ages. But best of all, it can be ready to pop into the oven in a matter of minutes...really!
Ingredients
With just a few simple ingredients, you'll be well on your way to a scrumptious dinner of Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole!
- Alfredo sauce. Jarred alfredo sauce is the base of the sauce for this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole recipe. I prefer using it as a ready-made option over canned condensed soups. Just be sure to read the label and look for an alfredo with straightforward ingredients.
- Chicken broth OR stock. Low-sodium broth will give you more control over the ultimate saltiness of your dish.
- Seasonings. Namely, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Chicken. Cooked and diced or shredded. One option is to use leftover cooked chicken (or, if it's after a holiday, turkey!). You can also pull the chicken from a rotisserie chicken...the breast meat alone will yield about 3 cups. Finally, you can freshly cook some chicken using your favorite method: poaching, grilling, baking, cooking in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, etc.
- Broccoli florets. Fresh or frozen will work. If you use fresh, just be the florets are cut into bite-sized pieces. To save time, I often buy a bag of pre-washed fresh broccoli florets and cut any larger florets into halves or quarters.
- Long-grain white rice. I typically use basmati or jasmine, but any variety of long-grain white rice will work. That being said, this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole has not been tested with brown rice, which would likely require an adjusted (increased) amount of liquid and a longer cooking time. Similarly, instant rice won't work in this recipe as it would get overcooked.
- Mozzarella. Shredded.
- Parmesan. Grated.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
As with any good dump-and-bake recipe, this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is assembled right in the baking dish...there's not even a mixing bowl to clean!
- Adjust racks to the center and top positions and preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously grease a 9- by 13-inch (or 3-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Pour the alfredo sauce and the chicken broth into the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper, and whisk everything together until thoroughly combined. (PRO TIP: I like to measure out my chicken broth and then pour it into the empty alfredo jar. Screw on the lid, shake, and pour into the baking dish. This ensures that you get every last bit of the alfredo sauce!)
- Add the chicken, broccoli, rice, and 1 cup of the mozzarella.
- Stir until all of the ingredients are combined and coated. Smooth into an even layer in the baking dish and tightly cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 50 minutes. If the rice is not tender and the liquid is not mostly absorbed after that amount of time, stir the casserole well, re-cover, and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes or until just done.
- Remove the dish from the oven and turn on the broiler. Take off the foil and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the grated Parmesan.
- Pop under the broiler and cook, watching carefully the entire time, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve hot and enjoy!
Variations
It's easy to change up this Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole depending on your favorite flavors or what you already happen to have on hand!
Swap out the cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, or swiss would all be yummy alternatives to mozzarella.
Swap out the sauce: Canned or homemade cream of chicken soup would work in this recipe. Or for a totally different flavor profile, you could use marinara or some other type of red sauce in place of the alfredo sauce.
Swap out the veggies. Substitute your favorites -- or whatever you have on hand -- instead of broccoli. A few ideas: frozen mixed veggies, fresh or frozen green beans, frozen peas, sliced mushrooms, grated zucchini or squash, or a combo of sliced celery, chopped bell peppers, and grated carrots.
Leftovers
Storage: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Reheating: To reheat leftovers, portion a serving onto a microwave-safe plate, add a splash of broth or milk (since the rice will have absorbed most of the liquid in the fridge), and then cover and microwave for 1 minute or until just heated through.
So are you ready for an easy, tasty dinner recipe that practically makes itself?!
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole is a great way to use up leftover chicken or random veggies in your fridge.
It's easy to customize.
And it'll leave you with hardly any dishes to wash!
Hope you get to try this chicken dinner winner SOON. 🙂
More Yummy Chicken Casseroles
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (One Dish Dump-and-Bake!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce jar alfredo sauce
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 2 cups broccoli florets, fresh OR frozen
- 1 cup uncooked basmati OR jasmine rice
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella, DIVIDED
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to the center position and top position and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Generously grease a 9- by 13-inch (or 3-quart) glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour alfredo sauce and chicken broth into the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper, and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the chicken, broccoli, rice, and 1 cup of the mozzarella; stir until all ingredients are combined and coated. Smooth into an even layer in the baking dish.
- Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (or a lid) so that steam doesn’t escape. Bake for 50 minutes. (If the rice is not tender and the liquid is not mostly absorbed after that amount of time, stir the casserole well, scraping the bottom and edges and then redistributing the ingredients. Cover again and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes or until just done.)
- Remove the dish from the oven and turn on the broiler. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the grated Parmesan, and pop under the broiler. Broil, watching carefully the entire time, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- I like to measure the chicken broth and then pour it into the empty alfredo jar. Screw on the lid, shake, and pour into the baking dish. This ensures that you get every last bit of the alfredo sauce!
- You can use leftover cooked chicken (or turkey) or rotisserie chicken, or you can cook some chicken fresh by poaching, grilling, baking, cooking in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, etc.
- Any type of long grain white rice will work if you don’t have basmati or jasmine. However, this recipe has not been tested with brown rice, which has a longer cooking time and would likely require an adjusted amount of liquid and cooking time.
- If using fresh broccoli, be sure to cut the florets into small, bite-sized pieces.
