Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
This chicken broccoli rice casserole is an easy recipe topped with a cheesy and crumbly Ritz cracker topping. A weeknight staple made in one pan!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 cups chopped raw broccoli
- 2 cups cooked chicken (I like to use shredded rotisserie or leftovers)
- 6 Tablespoons butter (divided)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspooons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- 12 ritz crackers
S&P to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8" pan with non-stick spray.
- Place 2 cups cooked rice in the bottom of the pan. Then place 2 cups chopped broccoli on top of the rice. Set aside.
- Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in a pan over low heat. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup flour and mix until combined. Then slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Add in 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Stir until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes). Next mix in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup cheese. Whisk until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the shredded chicken into the cream mixture and then pour over top of the broccoli. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Mix the Ritz crumbs with the remaining butter and sprinkle over top.
- Bake casserole uncovered for 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Note: If you don't want to make your own cream sauce, you can omit the 4 Tablespoons butter, flour, chicken broth and Italian seasoning.
Instead mix together: 1 (10-ounce) can cream of chicken soup with 1/2 cup sour cream and cheese. Then salt and pepper to taste.
Freezer instructions:
- Prepare casserole in a dish that can go in both the oven and the freezer. I like foil pans for freezing.
- Make the recipe up until baking. Then instead of baking you're going to cover the dish with foil, then slide into a freezer bag or wrap with plastic or foil. Make sure that the casserole is stored in a flat, level spot in the freezer.
- To thaw, place in the refrigerator the night before serving.
- Once ready to bake, remove the foil and bake at 350°F until it's warm all throughout (about 30 minutes). If the Ritz crumb topping starts to burn, feel free to cover with foil while reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 448kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 544mg, Potassium: 312mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 885IU, Vitamin C: 31.4mg, Calcium: 203mg, Iron: 1.8mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
