Chicken and rice casserole is a delicious and easy recipe made with a few staples from the pantry. Add in a little seasoning, shredded cheese, and a handful of vegetables for a mouthwatering baked chicken rice casserole the whole family will enjoy.
I love a good casserole recipe that’s easy to make and one that the whole family will enjoy. This cheesy chicken casserole with rice is one of our families’ favorites. You only need to have a few ingredients on hand and it’s quick and easy to put together.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED TO MAKE A CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE RECIPE?
This recipe for chicken casserole is chock full of mouthwatering flavors, and you can easily make it with just a handful of ingredients. Here is what you will need to have on hand:
- Chicken breasts
- Cream of chicken soup
- Seasonings
- Onion
- Bell pepper
- Butter
- Rice
- Cheese
It’s the perfect weeknight dinner when you are looking for something delicious and filling. It’s a blend of the perfect comfort foods rolled into one.
You can find the full printable recipe card below with all of our notes and suggestions. This is also a great freezer meal. I always make extra and add the leftovers to a freezer safe container and save it for later when I need something quick and easy. You might as well make the most of your time in the kitchen :-).
If you have any suggestions to make this recipe even better, feel free to share them below. We’re always looking for new and creative additions for our recipes.
HOW DO I MAKE CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE
1. To get started, boil the chicken breasts until they are completely cooked. I typically boil my chicken for about 20 minutes.
2. Once they are cooked, shred the chicken and place it into a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Stir the rice, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, diced onion, bell pepper, and seasonings into the dish.
4. Mix well.
5. Add the ingredients into a baking dish and cover with cheddar cheese. I also like to mix in a little mozzarella cheese and add it to the top of the dish.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
7. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE VARIATIONS
There are a ton of different ways to make this casserole, but this is by far my favorite. It’s quick, easy, and it freezes perfectly. Consider making a few changes if you want:
- Substitute Brown Rice for White Rice
- Add Sour Cream for a creamier taste
- Top with green onion tops or diced green chilis for more flavor
HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE
I love to double this recipe and freeze the leftovers for later. I always label my freezer foods and make sure to add them to my weekly menu within three months of freezing them.
- Mix ingredients together.
- Place in a freezer safe container.
- Label and Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat this recipe, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 35 minutes until heated through and cheeses are melted.
Are you looking for additional easy recipes to cook with chicken? Here are some of our favorites:
- Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Make sure you rate this recipe in the printable recipe card below. You can also take a photo and tag us @pinkwhenjen on Instagram. We love to see others making our favorite recipes, so share your pictures with us!
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
- 2 10oz cream of chicken soup
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped
- 4 cups rice brown, cooked
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar, mozzarella
- 1/4 cup green onion to garnish
- 1/4 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Boil and shred chicken breasts.
- Add chicken, rice, butter, onion, pepper, seasonings, and cream of chicken soup to a large bowl. Mix well.
- Add to a baking dish. Cover with cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Top with garnishments if desired.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS
- Place mixed ingredients into a freezer safe container.
- Top with cheese.
- Cover and label with date and re-heating instructions.
- To heat, thaw in the refrigerator over night. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahreneheit.
- Heat for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked.
- Serve as desired.
Notes
- Consider adding sour cream to make this casserole even creamier.
- Double this recipe and freeze the remainder for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Nutrition
Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cooked chicken breasts shredded
- 2 10oz Cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup green onion tops
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese seperated 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl mix the chicken, onion, and bell pepper. Add the soup and combine well.
- Stir in the rice, seasonings, melted butter, and half the cheese.
- Pour ingredients into a 9×13 casserole dish. Bake on 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Top dish with the remaining cheese and green onion tops. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve warm.
We love casseroles! This chicken and rice recipe looks wonderful and so easy! Pinned !
4 cups of cooked rice is way to much! Maybe 2
or 3 cups. I’ll have a lot of rice to throw away.
If you use cooked rice, it’s the perfect amount. 🙂 If you didn’t precook the rice and you used four cups, I bet you did use too much!
This is perfect for making ahead. I love your idea to write down the instruction and tape it on the cover. So much easier and no need to hunt the recipe to figure out how to cook it. 🙂
I love this casserole! Have had different c=versions but I love how cheesy yours is! YUM.
Oh this looks so good. It is comfort food at its best. This is the kind of recipe I love for weekdays cause it usually is enough to last for a couple of days which means I get a break from cooking 😉
This is so delicious! Love how easy it is–make double and freeze one for later. 😀
We had this for dinner last night and it was wonderful! My whole family loved it so much!