This broccoli chicken and rice casserole is a simple, hearty main dish. In this chicken rice casserole, broccoli, rice and chicken are baked in a homemade sauce (NO canned soups) for a delicious and nutritious dinner recipe that’s easy to prepare.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, flour, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder.
In a 5-quart saucepan, cook butter, garlic and onion together until onion is soft.
Add chicken broth and chicken base to the saucepan, whisk to combine and bring to a boil.
One the mixture is boiling, add the milk mixture and cook over medium-high heat until thickened (1-2 minutes).
Assemble & Bake
Add the sauce, rice and chicken breasts to a 9x13” baking dish.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and stir in broccoli, cover and cook 25 to 30 more minutes until rice is tender. Remove the foil in the last 10 minutes of baking to brown the top and thicken the sauce
Cool & Serve
Let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving warm. The rice soaks in more liquid as it cools and the casserole thickens up.
Serve warm with garnished with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
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Notes
Ingredient Notes/Substitutions
White rice. brown rice or wild rice work as well, you will just need to increase the cooking time because those varieties take longer to cook than white rice.
Broccoli. I prefer using fresh broccoli florets, but I have also used frozen with great results. Be sure to cut the broccoli into small pieces so it cooks well.
Salted butter. unsalted butter works well too.
Onion. use yellow, white or red onion in this recipe.
Minced garlic. freshly minced or jarred both work well.
Whole milk. 2% milk or half and half are good substitutes. I do not recommend using fat-free milk.
All-purpose flour. Use gluten-free all-purpose flour if desired. Also bread flour works well in a pinch.
Chicken broth. use store-bought or homemade.
Better Than Bouillon Chicken base. This is my favorite chicken base by far and imparts the best flavor. You can use another brand or bouillon cubes or chicken broth/stock if necessary.
StoreStore leftover chicken broccoli rice casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven or on the stovetop.FreezeI suggest freezing this casserole after baking so you just need to reheat it and serve. You can freeze the entire casserole or individual servings.