This pot of chicken and cheese rice includes Campbell soup, tasty rice cooked in chicken broth and a crispy Ritz butter filling. Cook fresh chicken or use the rotisserie!
Are you ready for the ultimate comfort food recipe? My family and I have been eating this pot of chicken and rice for years now. Who needs to separate chicken, rice and broccoli when you can whip a creamy pan?!
This recipe is one of my favorite freezing foods. I'm sure readers come back for this recipe more than any other. Once you try it, you're pretty much hooked.
You can do it with chicken breasts, roast chicken, and I even have a ham version!
Ingredients :
Unsalted butter
Chicken breastsTM Roasted chicken makes a good shortcut, ham works well too.
Salt/Pepper
Low-sodium chicken broth
White Long Grain RiceTM Don't use instant rice (see below for more information). Brown rice
can also be used.
Broccoli
Condensed Chicken Soup CreamTM See below for Alternative Options
Milk
Sour cream
Cheddar CheeseTM Tear your own from a block at home for best results.
Dried Thyme- Optional
Garlic powder
Ritz Crackers
See the recipe map below for the full ingredient quantities and instructions :
Cream of chicken soup substitutes
This recipe can be made with mushroom cream, broccoli cream, cheddar cheese and broccoli cheese.
If you prefer to make soup from scratch, try this homemade recipe for cream chicken soup!
Use regular rice for a creamy saucepan
I highly recommend using regular rice instead of minute rice:
We only cook the rice for 15 minutes before cooking it.
Regular rice has a higher nutritional value, flavour and texture.
Long grain rice and creamier consistency. Short grain rice tends to be stickier.
Use of frozen broccoli
-The use of a 16 oz bag of frozen broccoli (and/or cauliflower) can also be used. Make sure to thaw and pat dry!
-Frozen broccoli is already blanched so you don't need to cook it before mixing the pan together.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear bite-sized pieces of chicken breast for 5 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside.
Add chicken broth and rice to the same saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to boil and cover for 7 minutes.
Stir in fresh broccoli, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
Stir and remove from heat. Add chicken, soup, milk, sour cream, half of cheddar cheese, thyme and garlic powder.
Transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13 saucepan. Garnish with remaining cheddar cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Mix the melted butter and the ritz crackers, sprinkle over the pan. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Make-Ahead Method
-This pan can be assembled in advance and refrigerated up to 2 days before cooking.
-If prepared 2 days in advance, it must be used within 1-2 days or leftovers should be frozen.
-The cracker/butter filling should be made when you cook the pan and unprepared in advance. Freezing and warming up
-This pan is an excellent meal to freeze and is best if used within 3 months of freezing.
To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
