American
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Rice, chicken, and broccoli bake under a cheddar sauce made from milk, flour, and cheese. It is a plain weeknight casserole, and the broccoli turns soft by the time the cheese browns.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- The sauce is a cooked cheddar sauce, not diluted canned soup.
- Rice takes up the sauce and stays soft the next day.
- Broccoli cuts the mild chicken with a slightly bitter edge.
- A short bake browns the top without pushing the chicken past doneness.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F. Simmer the rice in the broth, covered, until the rice is tender and the broth is absorbed.
- 2
Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces, season with half the salt and the pepper, and sauté in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat until the centers reach 165°F.
- 3
Cook the broccoli until it is bright green and just tender, then drain it.
- 4
Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, and cook until the roux is pale gold and smells lightly toasted.
- 5
Whisk in the milk and cook until the sauce coats a spoon, then melt in 1.5 cup cheddar with the garlic powder, mustard, and remaining salt until smooth.
- 6
Fold in the rice, chicken, and broccoli, top with the rest of the cheddar, and bake at 375°F until the edges bubble and the cheese browns in spots.
Pro tips
- Taste the sauce for salt before it goes into the dish; rice and broccoli both mute it.
- Keep the chicken pieces a similar size so they hit 165°F together.
- Leave the broccoli slightly firm, because it softens again in the oven.
Easy substitutions
- Chicken breast
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Cheddar
- Colby jack
- Broccoli florets
- Cauliflower florets
Storage and reheating
Storage
Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat covered at 350°F until the center is hot, adding a splash of milk if the rice looks dry.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 560
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Oven · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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