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This Chicken and Rice Casserole is made with tender chicken, rice, and a creamy mushroom sauce with freshly grated parmesan! The perfect family dinner that comes together so easily, and without a can of soup. You’ll love this healthy take on comfort food!
It’s the season of casseroles! Or really, the season for putting hearty and comforting on the table. With growing teenagers who eat three times the amount of the standard adult, I am constantly seeking out ways to keep my people satisfied. While my Slow Cooker Taco Casserole and Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole are huge hits with my kids, I am always trying new flavor combos that can deliver on deliciousness, and still being nourishing at the same time.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- As a nutritionist, I want to ensure my meals provide a balanced macronutrient distribution with high protein, a nice mix of carbohydrates that are also high in fiber, and some healthy fat. This dinner is checking the block for all of this!
- It checks the delicious block! You’ll love the homemade cream of mushroom soup using white wine, onion, sautéed mushrooms, and some parmesan cheese. So decadent and the perfect compliment to rice and chicken. I love adding mushrooms to recipes like this because they bring so much depth and soak up every bit of flavor.
- It’s easy to make, easy to re-heat, and even works as a make-ahead meal you can enjoy. You’ll also be thrilled to have this as a leftover meal for a second dinner throughout the week.
Ingredients to make this Chicken and rice casserole
For the base of this recipe, you will need just a few ingredients:
- Chicken breast: you can use pre-cooked chicken breast for this recipe such as rotisserie chicken
- Rice: I used a mix of wild rice and white rice. You can also do the same, or use only one type. Even brown rice or cauliflower rice works! For quick and easy, use my rice hack to make rice so easily.
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated parmesan will be used for both the top of the casserole and in the cream of mushroom sauce
For the cream of mushroom sauce, you will need:
- White wine: I used a sauvignon blanc. Feel free to use chicken broth in its place, but I love the taste of white wine in this recipe.
- Onion: sautéed onion will only add to the flavor of the mushrooms
- Butter: sauté the veggies in butter or chose olive oil or avocado oil
- Garlic cloves: minced garlic also enhances the flavor here!
- Mushrooms: I used baby Bella mushrooms, but white mushrooms are also fine!
- Milk: I used whole milk, but reduced fat can also work in this recipe
- Flour: This helps to thicken up the sauce and creates a roux. You can also substitute
How to make Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
The first thing we want to do for this recipe is make the rice and chicken. I typically buy the frozen jasmine rice from Trader Joe’s so that all I have to do is heat up for three minutes. Another easy method is to place jasmine rice in a pot of boiling water, boil for 7-8 minutes, then drain the water. This is the easiest method to make rice, boil like it’s pasta! If you are using wild rice, you will need to boil for almost 40 minutes. It takes a LONG time. I typically place my chicken in the oven and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
While you prep the rice and chicken, start making the sauce. Heat a medium sized pot to medium. Melt the butter and add the diced onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, then add the flour. Sauté for another minute, then toss in the wine, then milk. Reduce the heat and let the mixture come to a light simmer; it will began to thicken. Stir in a bit of the parmesan cheese and let it melt. Now combine the sauce, rice and chicken mixing until well combined. Top with parmesan and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot!
Tips and adaptations for this recipe
A few shortcuts for this recipe include buying rotisserie chicken and shredding up the contents. You can even use shredded turkey. In addition, if you buy already made rice, that also speeds things up! Otherwise, those tasks are not hard, they just take a little longer.
Adaptations for this dinner include substituting broth for the wine, possibly adding in broccoli to the recipe, or even swapping broccoli for mushrooms. Feel free to also change the type of cheese. Cheddar works great in place of parmesan!
Storing and Re-heating
This Chicken and Rice Casserole makes a fabulous leftover meal, or freezer friendly meal! It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days, and if frozen will stay fresh for up to three months. To re-heat from refrigerated, simply cover the casserole dish and place in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. You can also microwave smaller portions for about 1 minute. From frozen, bring to room temperature for 3 hours before adding to the oven.
Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Chicken breast*
- 1.5 cups Jasmine rice**
- 2 tbsp Butter or olive oil
- 1 small Yellow onion, diced
- 8 oz Sliced bella mushrooms
- 1/4 cup All purpose flour***
- 1/2 cup White wine , (dry like a sauvignon blanc or pinot Grigio)
- 1.5 cups Milk
- 1.5 cups Freshly grated parmesan cheese, (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. If using raw chicken breast (not pre-cooked), place chicken on a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before shredding. Bump the oven temperature to 400 degrees F to prepare for the casserole.
- While chicken is cooking, make the rice (if not using pre-cooked rice). Boil your rice in a pot of 6 cups of water. After 8 minutes, drain the water. This method is much easier and resembles cooking rice like pasta!
- Now make the cream of mushroom sauce. Heat a large saucepan to medium heat. Once hot, add the butter or oil, then the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until softened and golden. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and cook another minute.
- Now add the wine, followed by the milk. Increase the heat to medium high until the sauce begins to thicken, then lower the temperature to medium low. Slowly stir in about 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and let melt.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 sized casserole dish. Place the cooked rice and shredded chicken in the pan. Top with the cream of mushroom sauce and give it a good stir. Top with parmesan cheese and transfer to the oven.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until the parmesan is lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven and serve hot!
THIS WAS SO SO GOOD!! I just added a can of cr of mushroom soup. TY TY
Recipe instructions could be more precise for the amateur cook. Glaring omission of amount of garlic required for recipe, and the chicken does not cook fully in 25 minutes at 350F. Is this for an electric or gas oven? Details matter please.
Loved it thanks for sharing!