Why You’ll Love This this Cheesy Chicken Rice Casserole
This one-dish wonder basically cooks itself while you do literally anything else, which is honestly the kind of cooking magic we all need in our lives.
You just dump everything in a baking dish, pop it in the oven, and somehow end up with tender chicken, perfectly cooked rice, and melty cheese that brings the whole thing together.
It’s the kind of recipe that makes you look like you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen, even when you’re secretly wondering if you remembered to turn the oven on.
Ingredients List
Let’s gather up everything you need to make this comfort food masterpiece that’ll have your family asking for seconds before they’ve even finished their firsts.
- 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup (regular or fat free)
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 3/4 cup uncooked regular long grain white rice
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
A few things worth mentioning about these ingredients:
- You can totally swap the regular cream of chicken soup for the fat-free version if you’re trying to lighten things up a bit.
- The cheddar cheese is where you can get creative – sharp cheddar adds more flavor punch, while mild keeps things family-friendly.
- Long grain white rice works best here because it holds its shape and doesn’t turn mushy during that long bake time.
- Fresh chicken breasts will give you the best results, but if they’re frozen, just make sure they’re completely thawed first.
Step by Step Directions
Making this one-dish wonder is as straightforward as it gets – just mix, top, bake, and cheese.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and grab a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
- Mix the cream of chicken soup, water, uncooked rice, onion powder, and black pepper directly in your baking dish until well combined.
- Arrange the chicken breast halves on top of the rice mixture, then sprinkle them with additional black pepper.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and slide it into the oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through (no pink remaining) and the rice is tender.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the chicken.
- Pop it back in the oven for just a few more minutes until the cheese melts and gets bubbly.
- Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving to allow everything to set up properly.
For best results, use a premium stainless cookware set that distributes heat evenly throughout the cooking process.
Substitutions and Variations
- Seasoning upgrades – A packet of onion soup mix instead of plain onion powder, some garlic powder for extra oomph, or herbs like thyme and rosemary make it taste like you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen.
- Make it creamy – A dollop of cream cheese or sour cream mixed into the rice base creates an almost risotto-like richness that feels way more sophisticated than it actually is.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This casserole is fundamentally a full meal in one dish, but sometimes you want a little something extra on the side to make it feel more complete.
- Simple green vegetables – Steamed broccoli, green beans, or even a bag of frozen peas work perfectly because they add color and help you pretend this meal is balanced, plus the bright green makes the whole plate look less beige.
- Fresh salad – A basic garden salad with ranch dressing cuts through all that creamy richness, and honestly, the crunch is exactly what your mouth needs after all that soft, melty goodness.
- Garlic bread or dinner rolls – Because apparently we’re not getting enough carbs from the rice, but sometimes you just need something to soak up every last bit of that cheesy sauce.
- Roasted vegetables – Carrots, zucchini, or bell peppers tossed with olive oil and roasted until slightly caramelized add a touch of sophistication to what’s fundamentally comfort food in its purest form.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Making this casserole is pretty straightforward, but a few insider secrets can turn your good dinner into something that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
- Use room temperature chicken – Pull it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking so it doesn’t shock the rice mixture with cold, which can mess with the cooking times and leave you with crunchy rice nobody wants.
- Don’t skip the foil tent – Cover that baking dish tightly with foil, because steam is what cooks the rice properly, and if you let it escape, you’ll end up with sad, undercooked grains floating in soup.
- Check the rice, not just the chicken – Sure, we all know to make sure chicken hits 165 degrees, but poke a fork down into the rice too, because nothing ruins dinner like finding out your protein is perfect but your starch is still crunchy.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes – I know you want to plunge right in, but letting it sit after you add the cheese gives everything time to settle and makes serving so much neater, plus the cheese gets that perfect melty consistency.
- Double-check your dish size – A 2-quart dish is smaller than you think, and if you try to cram this into something too shallow, you’ll have a bubbly mess in your oven and rice that cooks unevenly.
- Pound the chicken to even thickness – Nobody wants one end of their chicken breast overcooked while the thick part is still pink, so give those pieces a few gentle whacks with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Nutritional Facts
This comfort food classic delivers a solid balance of protein, carbs, and calcium, though it’s definitely on the heartier side of the dinner spectrum.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 520 calories (based on 6 servings)
- Protein powerhouse: Each serving packs about 40 grams of protein from the chicken and cheese
- Carbohydrates: Around 35 grams per serving, primarily from the rice
- Fat content: About 18 grams per serving, with 8 grams being saturated fat from the cheese and cream soup
- Sodium heads up: Contains roughly 850mg of sodium per serving due to the canned soup and cheese
- Calcium boost: Provides about 20% of your daily calcium needs thanks to the cheddar cheese
- Iron contribution: Delivers approximately 2mg of iron per serving from the chicken and enriched rice
- Fiber content: Minimal at about 1 gram per serving since white rice is the main carb
- Cholesterol count: Contains about 95mg of cholesterol per serving from the chicken and dairy
Fun “Did You Know?”
Ever wondered why casseroles became America’s go-to comfort food? I’ll share some fascinating facts!
Casseroles gained popularity during the Great Depression because they stretched ingredients and fed families affordably. The term “casserole” comes from French, meaning “saucepan.”
Rice is actually the world’s most consumed grain, feeding over half the global population daily. Cheddar cheese originated in England’s Cheddar village, where caves provided perfect aging conditions.
Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup, invented in 1934, revolutionized home cooking by simplifying sauce-making. Today’s casserole dishes combine convenience with comfort, making them perfect for busy weeknight dinners and potluck gatherings.
