CHICKEN BROCCOLI AND RICE CASSEROLE

With just 5 ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep, this Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole is an easy dinner that cooks in one dish! There’s no need to pre-cook the rice, pre-cook the chicken, or pre-cook the veggies, making the cozy, family-friendly meal a simple option for busy nights!

You know what’s even better than creating my own new dump-and-bake dinner recipes? Having awesome readers send me their favorite dump-and-bake dinner recipes!

I initially met Rachel when she participated in my free 5-Day Meal Planning Challenge (you can still join the free challenge HERE if you’re interested). Rachel was very active in the Facebook group, where she was kind enough to share a number of different meal ideas.

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN BROCCOLI AND RICE CASSEROLE?

The chicken and rice bake together and then the flavorings are added in towards the end of the cooking process. No one likes mushy broccoli, so I lightly cooked it in the pan first, then added it back in at the very end to keep it bright and fresh tasting. The cheese also gets added later which makes for an ultra creamy rice.

I use a short grain rice because when it bakes in the oven it turns into a risotto-like consistency. You can really use any type of short grain rice that you find at the store, I go with an inexpensive variety and it works just as well as the more expensive arborio or carnaroli rice.

Don’t you just want to grab a plate and start eating? Put this chicken broccoli and rice casserole on your dinner menu soon, you’ll be glad you did.

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 chicken breasts cut into small cubes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3/4 cup rice uncooked
• 10 oz cream of chicken soup (1 can)
• 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and cubed chicken. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the chicken starts to brown a bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until garlic gets aromatic.
2. Add the rice, cream of chicken soup and chicken broth. Start with 2 cups of chicken broth and if more is needed add more until rice is fully cooked. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook over medium heat until the rice is fully cooked, stirring occasionally, should take about 15 minutes or so. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
3. Add the broccoli florets and half the cheese then continue cooking for 2 more minutes, until broccoli softens a bit. Sprinkle over the top with remaining cheese and place the skillet under the broiler for a couple more minutes, just until it melts and starts to brown a bit.
4. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

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