Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole
Easy, family friendly casserole recipe for tonight's dinner!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
CREAMY SAUCE:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 medium garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
OTHER:
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 3 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
MAKE THE CREAMY SAUCE:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to low, add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer (it will thicken), whisking constantly.
- Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth, and then whisk in the salt, sweet paprika, and black pepper.
ASSEMBLE THE CASSEROLE:
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray the inside of a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- For the broccoli, fill a medium saucepan ⅔ full with water. Bring to a full rolling boil, salt the water, and add the broccoli. Cook for 3 minutes and then drain the broccoli.
- Add the rice, chicken, broccoli, creamy sauce, and 2 cups shredded cheddar to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar on top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake until the casserole is warm throughout and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and broil a couple minutes to brown the cheese on top. Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve.
Notes
- If you’re making the rice from scratch, you’ll need about 1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice to yield 3 cups of cooked rice.
- Rotisserie chicken works well in this dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 881mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1394IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 400mg | Iron: 2mg