This chicken and rice casserole is packed with rice, cheese, chicken and lots of vegetables. It is comfort food at it’s best and the kids LOVE it. We make this dinner on repeat with some roasted vegetables and our favorite cookies for dessert!
If you love chicken dinner recipes like we do, try our Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas too.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
This chicken and rice casserole has been a family favorite recipe for years! I am having a blast sharing some of my favorite Picky Palate recipes this summer. This one is from September 2010 and is a reader favorite. It is one of my most pinned Picky Palate recipes and works great as a freezer meal! Note, you can used steamed white rice in place of the wild rice. Works just fine!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comfort Food. This is comfort food in a casserole!
- Hearty and Filling. Hearty meal for the whole family.
- Great Leftovers. Makes great leftovers and freezes great for another meal later.
Try my Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.
What’s Needed For Chicken and Rice Casserole
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make the casserole. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full instructions.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil– The olive oil is used to saute the vegetables.
- Onion– White onion works great. Make sure it’s finely chopped.
- Celery– Wash, dry and finely chop the celery.
- Carrots– Peel and dice carrots the same size as celery and onion so they cook the same time.
- Garlic– Mince the garlic before adding to pan.
- Cooked chicken– Rotisserie chicken works great.
- Cooked White Rice– Use any of your favorite rice for the recipe. I usually use Basmati or Jasmine.
- Cooked Wild Rice Blend– If you can’t fine wild rice, substitute for more white rice or you could use a brown rice.
- Kosher Salt- Kosher salt is a coarse salt.
- Black Pepper– For best tasting results use freshly cracked black pepper.
- Garlic Salt– Lawry’s is my favorite brand of garlic salt.
- Salted Butter– I use salted butter for most of my recipes, unsalted is just fine as well.
- All-Purpose Flour– Flour is used to make the homemade cheese sauce.
- Chicken Broth– Look for reduced sodium chicken broth.
- Shredded Cheese– Mild cheddar cheese works great.
How To Make Chicken Rice Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute Vegetables. Heat oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add Broth and Seasonings. Stir in chicken, both rices, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Reduce heat to low.
Prepare Cheese Sauce. Melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously.
Add Cheese and Transfer To Rice. Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in 2 cups cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce into cooked rice mixture then transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Add Cheese. Top evenly with additional 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese.
Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted through.
One of our favorite casserole recipes to make. Cheesy delicious comfort food!
Recipe Tips For Success
- Rotisserie Chicken. Use shredded rotisserie chicken for quick recipe prep.
- Pre-Chop Veggies. Pre-chop the vegetables needed for the recipe in advance.
- Freeze Another Recipe. Double the recipe and freeze one to use for another dinner.
- Great Dinner To Bring To Neighbors and Friends. Double the recipe and give a dinner to a neighbor in need.
How To Serve Chicken and Rice
We love serving this recipe any day of the week. It’s great for Sunday dinner, weekend entertaining and makes the best leftovers. Serve this chicken and rice with some roasted vegetables and a side salad.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, prepare the recipe up until the step where you add the cheese. Don’t bake it yet. Cool completely and cover the dish tightly with tin foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely before baking. You’ll add the shredded cheese before baking as well.
How To Store Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Re-heat in microwave as needed. Place rice in a heat proof bowl or plate, lightly covered in the microwave for 60-75 seconds or until hot.
You Might Also Like
- Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Cheesy Chicken Air Fryer Taquitos
Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Oven
- cutting board
- chef knife
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
- Large Skillet/Fry Pan
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
- 2 cups steamed white rice
- 16 ounces cooked wild rice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Cheese Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese to top over rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Heat oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in chicken, both rices, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Reduce heat to low.
- To prepare cheese sauce melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously. Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in 2 cups cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce into cooked rice mixture then transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with additional 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted through.
Nutrition
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Do you happen to have the nutritional information on this yummy looking casserole? Thanks.
Don’t know if anyone else had this problem, but you didn’t specify in the ingredients or the recipe that the wild rice was pre-cooked. I notice now that you briefly mentioned it in the post, but since I wasn’t looking at the post but at the recipe when I went grocery shopping, and the recipe did specifically state to pre-steam the white rice, my rice was not pre-cooked. This was very frustrating when I got to that part and, out of confusion double-checked, and the only place I could find that said it was the photo of the Trader Joe’s rice. The wild rice will take over an hour to cook. I would think a cooking blog would be sure not to overlook such important details. Now the rest of my stuff will have to “simmer” for a good hour and a half while the rice cooks.
I had no problem. It says right in the post… “I will say, go find yourself some wild rice like the one I found at Trader Joes. It’s fully cooked and ready to be eaten…” The comment is right above the picture of the ingredients. Also, in the recipe it says to use prepared wild rice.
Did you not know that wild rice takes a long time to cook?
I bought some stove top rice a roni kind and it took 25 min to cook on the stove (the 16oz box).
actually my box was like 4.2 oz, about 2 cups prepared wild rice (I think it was plenty) plus 2 cups of prepared white rice.
Don’t know if anyone else had this problem, but you didn’t specify in the ingredients or the recipe that the wild rice was pre-cooked. I notice now that you briefly mentioned it in the post, but since I wasn’t looking at the post but at the recipe when I went grocery shopping, and the recipe did specifically state to pre-steam the white rice, my rice was not pre-cooked. This was very frustrating when I got to that part and, out of confusion double-checked, and the only place I could find that said it was the photo of the Trader Joe’s rice. The wild rice will take over an hour to cook. I would think a cooking blog would be sure not to overlook such important details. Now the rest of my stuff will have to “simmer” for a good hour and a half while the rice cooks.
I made this and it is seriously good. I think I liked it better before it all went in the oven because everything was a wee little firmer, but it is very yummy. I also added some chopped sauteed mushrooms.
How many cups is the 16oz of cooked wild rice?
Can this Cheesy Chicken Wild Rice casserole freeze? I’d love to make several and take out when I need them.
Can this Cheesy Chicken Wild Rice casserole freeze? I’d love to make several and take out when I need them.
Thanks for the recipe! For those of us counting calories, do you happen to have the nutritional info for this dish?
Thanks!
is the rice yall use that instant rice or do you just pre cook regular rice? this meal looks awesome!
Thanks!
I am looking for easy meals to make for after our little baby girl is born! And this looks yummy ! I am scheduled wed to be induced ! I am 41 weeks this saturday !
Just made this tonight, it was very yummy. Next time I think I’ll add broccoli to it. Thanks so much for the recipe. Looking forward to trying more 🙂
We had this last night and 4 out of 5 of us loved it, though we’ll reduce salt and cheese next time. We were able to find a precooked wild rice that was canned (perhaps the reason for the saltiness) made by Canoe. Will try TJ’s next time. Thanks!
Just finally made this tonight (rainy, blustery, dreary day) and all I can say is it smells AMAZING! THANK YOU for sharing this! I’ll be making this many more times!
This is amazing!! I needed a dish to make for a family who deserves a break…saw this and decided to try it out (and made one for our family at the same time!!). Will definitely use as my “gift” dish from now on!! They loved it and so did my family. I just found my mandolin blades (moved 6 months ago!) and made the carrots crinkle cut and the celery zig zag cut…it is so pretty!! Next time I will use the broccoli suggestion…good way to add in some more veggies. Thank you so much. I really enjoy following your blog.
Made this last night and it was wonderful. We had so much I’m sending some over to my mom otherwise we would be eating this for a week (not that it is a bad thing).
Made this a couple of nights ago. Amazing. The cheese sauce really made the dish. It tastes even better as leftovers.
Awesome recipe! Can’t wait to try it! So glad I found you. As a die-hard food blog junkie, I think I have found my new favorite fix!
One thing I thought you might want to note: “Veggies” is plural form. “Veggi’s” uses the possessive apostrophe s, which would only be appropriate if you were talking about a veggie’s taste, for example. If you were refering in plural possessive, it would be the “veggies’ color”, for example. 🙂
I made this last night for dinner . . . we loved it! Used TJ’s frozen organic brown rice in lieu of the white rice and it was fab! Thanks especially for the “heads-up” on the prepared wild rice – such a huge timesaver during the busy week.
Jenny, this looks delicious. Hope your kids got over the “black rice.” Made me think of my own rice story: My mother liked to tell about the day I came home from second grade and announced that I had to take my lunch the next day because they were serving porcupine meatballs. She could not convince me that it was just ground beef and rice and NOT porcupine meat. I wasn’t taking a chance, though.
This was GREAT! and smelled fantastic cooking…
I am sitting here, eating this very recipe as I type… It is SO SO GOOD! I subbed Trader Joe’s brown rice in a pouch for the white rice but otherwise followed it. Yum!
My husband keeps going back for seconds, and second seconds… Always the mark of a good recipe!
Thank you!
Yummy! Made it tonight for my kids and their friends. It was a big big hit and my 5 year old wants it packed in his lunch in his thermos tomorrow. That’s saying something!
PS- I have no idea what I would do if I ever lost my access to Trader Joe’s. Seriously.
This looks seriously so good. I love comfort food and this fits the bill.
This would make an amazing take along dish. My kids would probably have the same reaction to the wild rice. I usually pick up a couple of roasted chickens at Costco for sandwiches and stuff during the week, this dish would be perfect to utilize the chickens as well.
Thank you for sharing. Btw your pics are amazing!
I can never reply to your SU shares, it always gives me a message of “too many shares” :-/ Anyway, this looks wonderful!
Yum! Made this for dinner tonight & it was delish! I typically avoid any recipe with the word casserole it in but we loved this! I added some broccoli & a yuke to the vegis. Love your blog! Thanks!
i meant…ZUKE as in zucchini, lol! sorry for the typo
I was on a health food kick a while ago, and purchased Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, in Brown and Wild Rice. But I never found any reason to use it until last night when I made this casserole! 🙂 I barely had enough left to put in a Tupperware to bring to work today! Thanks for your super family-friendly recipes!
I made this last night for dinner and my picky little 20 month old even loved it. Thanks for cooking and sharing!
Linzie
sorry, just read the above post that already commented about the freezing. I’ll repost when i try it to share the results 🙂
Did you try freezing the Cheesy Chicken Wild Rice Casserole? I’d love to hear the results.
I’ve frozen them before when I’ve gone out of town for the hubby to eat. I keep the cheese off the top, and he’ll add it towards the end of cooking. He says it turns out the same. I freeze them in smaller portions and he microwaves them, but I’m sure it would work. You’d just need to test out the cooking times.
This looks awesome, I can’t wait to try it! Any idea if I could double the recipe and freeze the second casserole for a future meal?
Thanks for tip on the precooked wold rice. I’ll have to check that out. The casserole looks delish!
Ummm! Love that cheese sauce with it. Love casseroles like this!
Great looking recipe. Nice twist on the classic chicken and rice casserole. Bet it was full of flavor!
Jenny,
I made this tonight minus a few things as we were low on groceries but it was awesome!!! One picky palate picked off the cheese but overall the crowd loved it!
thanks
zest
I made this last night and wow is it delish! I used a brown and wild rice mix and it worked really well! I’m excited to have the leftovers for lunch. 🙂
This is my go-to site when I’m searching for recipes. They are all fabulous! THANK YOU for sharing!
I’m planning to make this tonight for me and the boy — I anticipate half of it will be gone the way he eats 😉 I’m going to do all brown rice (reduced to 3 cups) and add a cup of broccoli. So excited about cooking this dinner!