Description
A comforting one-pot dish made with tender chicken, fresh broccoli, fluffy rice, and a creamy cheese sauce, topped with a buttery cracker crust. This casserole combines savory flavors, rich texture, and minimal effort perfect for family dinners, gatherings, or meal prep. Versatile and adaptable, it easily fits gluten-free, dairy-free, or low-carb diets.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
OR 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken - Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Optional: ½ tsp dried thyme
Vegetables
- 2–3 cups fresh broccoli florets
OR 2 cups frozen broccoli, thawed & patted dry
Rice & Broth
- 1¼ cups white long-grain rice (uncooked)
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
Topping
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Season chicken with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Cook chicken until golden (about 5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- Skip this step if using rotisserie chicken.
- Add chicken broth, olive oil, and rice to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 6 minutes.
- Add broccoli, cover, and cook 9 more minutes, until rice is done and liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Stir in cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, optional seasonings, and half the cheese.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.
- Mix crushed Ritz crackers with melted butter. Sprinkle on top.
- Bake 10 minutes uncovered until golden and bubbly.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use freshly shredded cheese for better melting.
- Do not stir the rice once cooked prevents clumping.
- Pat frozen broccoli dry to avoid excess moisture.
- Make it gluten-free: use GF soup + GF crackers or omit topping.
- Make it dairy-free: use dairy-free soup, cheese, and sour cream.
- Add flavor: paprika, Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, or herbs.
- Add veggies: mushrooms, spinach, roasted red peppers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Casserole / Main Dish
- Method: Oven + Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg