A good chicken rice casserole is typical homemade “mom food”. The kind of food we grew up with, came home from college looking forward to eating as a home-cooked meal, and what we want to serve when memories of family meals are made.
This recipe doesn't have the usual canned creamed soups. The time it takes to make the real sauce that serves as the base of this dish is a few minutes longer than popping open a can of the premade soups. The difference in taste is definitely noticeable.
Easy to make and wonderfully simple, this tasty food is a treasure. Serve this up when you want a nostalgic chicken casserole and a cozy family dinner.
Chicken Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (3 cups)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups half and half or whole milk
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon melted butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir in the mushrooms and rosemary, cook until softened (about 5 min.). Stir in the flour until well blended.
4. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the half and half or milk.
5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until sauce is thickened and smooth (about 5 min.).
6. Mix in the chicken and the cooked rice, combine well.
7. Pour into prepared pan.
8. Mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and 1 Tbsp. melted butter, stir well. Sprinkle on top of the chicken and rice mixture.
9. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Other Chicken Dinners to Try
Once you've tried this cozy, heartfelt chicken rice casserole, try out these other great chicken dinners:
- Fried chicken. There's no going wrong with fried chicken. It can be served with a whole array of sides, from mashed potatoes to mac and cheese. It can even be made in an air fryer!
- Mango salsa chicken. Looking for something a little different? This mango salsa chicken is right up your alley. This recipe combines sweet and spicy flavors together for a meal that's truly out of this world. Serve with Mexican rice.
- Chicken noodle soup. No, not the canned kind! If you haven't tried making your own chicken noodle soup, then now is the time to try. It isn't as hard as you might think, and you'll be left with plenty of soup to meal-prep with for the week.
- Lemon pepper chicken. This is a relatively simple recipe, but sometimes simple is good. When you're tired, busy, or unwell, you aren't going to want to spend forever in the kitchen. This chicken is a great choice for those rough nights.
- Buffalo chicken mac and cheese. This is a dinner everyone in the family will love! The addition of hot sauce gives savory mac and cheese a kick. Use diced or shredded chicken to complete this dinner, and serve!
- Chicken noodle casserole. Once you've tried your hand at making your own chicken noodle soup, give chicken noodle casserole a try! This casserole, like the one featured in this article, is going to become a family favorite that you build plenty of cozy memories around.
- Chicken salad sandwiches. This is another simple dinner to throw together. Prep the chicken salad in advance. When a busy or tiring night comes along, take your pre-prepared chicken salad and throw it on some toasted white bread. Serve with some potato chips, and enjoy an easy but delicious meal.