Our Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe is simple to make and is one of our go-to meals for busy weeknights when we want a no fuss meal that everyone will enjoy. We used simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, so save this one for when you’re in a pinch!
The Best Cheesy Chicken Broccoli And Rice Casserole
This is one of our favorite casserole recipes because it comes together in less than an hour and with less than 10 ingredients! It’s a great one to meal prep as it can sit in the fridge for a couple of days before baking and freezes amazingly well.
Looking for More Easy Family Dinners?
Then you have to check out our parmesan chicken orzo recipe or our cheesy chicken broccoli and rice recipe where use juicy chicken thighs!
What You Will Need
- cream of mushroom soup – The creamy base that the rest of the ingredients get coated in during the baking process.
- ground black pepper – Adds a little kick of flavor to every bite.
- broccoli florets – We highly suggest using fresh, as these will soften during the baking process.
- cooked chicken – Use leftover cooked chicken breast or rotissery chicken. For the most tender chicken, follow our poached chicken tutorial.
- cooked rice – We used white rice, but brown rice could work. It’ll just change the texture of your casserole a bit. On a busy weeknight use leftovers or grab a few microwavable pouches from your local grocery store. Or you can always use our instant pot jasmine rice recipe.
- sharp cheddar cheese – Adds a rich flavor and the cheesiest bites!
How To Make Cheesy Chicken Rice Broccoli Casserole
Start by gathering and prepping your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Next, mix together the mayo, cream of mushroom soup, and ground black pepper right in the casserole dish to make a creamy sauce. Once it’s thoroughly mixed, spread it over the bottom of the casserole dish in an even layer.
Now add in the broccoli florets, cooked chicken, cooked rice, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese and mix everything together with the cream sauce.
What An Extra Cheesy Casserole?
Take the extra effort to shred a block of cheddar cheese vs. using a bag of pre shredded cheese. The pre shredded stuff is coated in an anti-caking agent, that keeps the cheese from reaching it’s maximum melty consistency.
Now top your cheesy broccoli chicken and rice casserole with some more shredded cheese and cover the dish with tin foil.
Want Some Crunch?
Make a Ritz cracker topping! Substitute the cheese topping for 2 1/2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers topped with 1/4 C of melted butter. It makes for the crunchiest bites. And don’t worry, you’ll still get yummy cheese in every bite as it’s mixed into the casserole.
Let your cheesy chicken and broccoli rice casserole bake covered for 20 minutes. Then remove the tin foil and let it bake another 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Now remove it from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and then dig in and enjoy every bite of cheesy goodness!
What Are Some Good Side Dishes To Serve With Casserole
We’re very much in the camp that sees casseroles as a complete meal. You’ve got a veggie, protein, carbohydrate and fats all grouped in one easy dish. However, if you want some variety in the table, one of our yummy salads would be a great side dish. And always end the meal with something sweet like our simple no bake cookies or one of our other yummy dessert recipes.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- Frozen or Fresh Broccoli? Both will work, but we found that fresh yield the best consistency once baked.
- Should pre-cooked or uncooked rice be used in casserole? We know your time is precious, so we made this dish specifically with pre-cooked rice.
- Soup options: We love a good Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe, but feel free to whip up a batch of homemade cream of mushroom soup in place of the canned option.
- Make Now, Bake Later: This casserole holds up in the freezer for three months. To bake, let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, and then on the counter for about 30 minutes. Cooking time may need to be adjusted to account for the cooler starting temp.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Made this easy dinner recipe and found a new family favorite?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Creamy Casserole Dishes You Might Like
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole recipe is an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family is going to love!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 (10oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 1/2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a 9×13 baking dish, add mayo, cream of mushroom soup, and black pepper. Mix to combine.
- Add broccoli, chicken, rice, and 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese to the casserole dish and mix it all together.
- Top the casserole with the remaining cup of cheese.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and return to the oven for another 10 minutes of cook time or until cheese is bubbly.
- Carefully remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve.
Notes
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: keep it easy with store-bought cans of soup or make a double batch of our homemade dairy-free cream of mushroom soup.
- Dairy Free: simply sub the cheddar cheese with a dairy-free cheese.
- Cooked Chicken: option to pick-up a rotisserie chicken at your local grocery store (you would use the whole chicken), make poached chicken, or follow our tutorial on how to shred chicken 3 different ways!
- Cooked Rice: any variety of rice would work here. Keep it super simple and use a couple pouches of instant rice that can be cooked in the microwave. This can be added right into the baking dish, without going in the microwave first.
- Broccoli: this recipe was tested with fresh broccoli florets and we highly recommend using them too. Option to use frozen broccoli, but it might get a little watery.
- Optional Topping: feel free to cover the top of the casserole with 2 cups of roughly crushed Ritz crackers and then 1/4 cup of melted butter before baking. Option to use in place of the shredded cheese topping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 417
- Sugar: 0.9 g
- Sodium: 694.8 mg
- Fat: 24.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Protein: 30.4 g
- Cholesterol: 103.5 mg
Loretta Nunnermacker says
My boys loved it l added the crumbs
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Loretta!
Emily says
I have made this twice and loved it both times! So good!
Erin says
Awesome to hear! Thanks for leaving a rating and review!
Stefanie T says
Not my favorite recipe. Sorry Erin. I made poached chicken since I didn’t have anything else on hand. The cream of mushroom soup & mayo mixture should’ve been mixed in a bowl. That may have changed the flavor profile. I added ritz cracker for the crunch. Turned out a bit mushy. My family enjoyed it, so it wasn’t a complete loss. Thank you for the recipe Erin.
Erin says
Sorry to hear this one didn’t hit for you, Stephanie! For what it’s worth, the mayo and cream of mushroom soup are mixed together in the casserole before adding everything else so I just tried to save you a dirty dish by doing it that way! Thanks for trying it and glad your family enjoyed it!