Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole

Warm comfort food that can be made ahead and frozen for future cold nights

This recipe can easily be halved or doubled depending on how many people you are interested in feeding.

I made the recipe to serve 4 and split the casserole into two smaller dishes. I cooked one immediately and ate one serving for dinner & the other for lunch the next day.

I allowed the other casserole to cool completely, covered it tightly with plastic wrap, and covered it with foil. If I lived in a perfect world, I would have taken the casserole out of the freezer in the morning and put it in the refrigerator to defrost.

However, I am forgetful and didn't take it out until about 30 minutes before I was ready to bake. If this happens, just sit it on the counter for a little and then preheat the oven.

You don't want to put a frozen or cold casserole dish in the hot oven. It will cause your casserole dish to break, and that's just straight up no fun.

Once the casserole has defrosted, remove the plastic wrap (and throw it away) & re-cover with the foil. Bake it covered in a 350°F oven for 25-35 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the foil and broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

You can also make this ahead by preparing the casserole all the way until topping with cheese. After transferring the mixture into a baking dish, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Top casserole with remaining ½cup cheese, and bake for 10 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly & browned.

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole

Warm comfort food that can be made-ahead and frozen for future cold nights

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup uncooked brown rice regular or instant
• ▢ 3 cups broccoli florets can be fresh or frozen, chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup green onion
• ▢ 2 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
• ▢ ½ lb chicken breast cut into small pieces
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt divided
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper divided
• ▢ 2 tablespoon flour or 1 tablespoon cornstarch for gluten-free
• ▢ 1 cup 2% milk
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt & fat. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in broccoli and green onion. {If you use instant rice, just cook rice, broccoli, and green onion together.} Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Cook chicken until done, about 5-7 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour {or cornstarch} and ½ cup cold milk. Reduce heat to medium, and slowly whisk flour-milk mixture into skillet. Season with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Slowly whisk in remaining ½ cup milk until the mixture boils. Stir constantly for 2 minutes while boiling. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt and 1 cup cheese. Once combined, stir in cooked chicken.
• Combine chicken-cheese mixture with rice-broccoli mixture, and transfer to a 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray or two smaller baking dishes. Top the mixture with remaining ½ cup cheese.
• Broil until cheese is bubbly and browned. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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*See notes above for make-ahead directions and freezing.