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!
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
- This is comfort food in a casserole!
- Hearty meal for the whole family.
- 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.
- pre-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.
- freshly cracked 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
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken for quick recipe prep.
- Pre-chop the vegetables needed for the recipe in advance.
- Double the recipe and freeze one to use for another dinner.
- 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
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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Welcome to my online kitchen! Picky Palate is where you’ll find family friendly recipes along with the best Disney eats, tips and copycat recipes! 
i love comfort food like this!!
I am liking al of that cheese in this casserole!
My kids will love this casserole!
Cant wait to make this cheesy casserole for Josh!
Looks so delicious! Nice comfort food!
Fantastic recipe. I have made it twice now and the second time I made with a wild rice blend with quinoa. Great flavor and a new family recipe! Thanks so much!
I have made this twice and it is awesome! I am going to add mushrooms tonight and see how that works out.
Can you use quinoa instead of rice?
Any ideas how I can make this recipe gluten free?
I made only a couple basic modifications. Used Wild Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s and added mushrooms. This recipe is amazing though. Everyone LOVED it! It is saved for an encore. Thank you.
Just found this recipe, looks like perhaps it is about 4 1/2 years old. Looks great and I will make it, sadly our Trader Joe’s no longer stocks the precooked wild rice. I will make up the rices ahead of time so I can make this. Love the non-processed ingredients.
This is more of a general comment. Why do almost all of the turkey recipes have cheese in them? Unless you’re making tacos, pizza or macaroni and cheese, I see little use for any cheese. Just make the dishes w/o it and they will come out just as good if not better. Turkey and cheese doesn’t even sound good.
Yummy, comfort food. Although I did cut the oil, butter, salt and cheese by 1/2! It still tasted great!
I loved making this recipe! Would this be a good freezer meal? Would you freeze it after everything is cooked & cooled? Or would you do any steps differently? I don’t do freezer meals a lot but I’m needing to stockpile my freezer for my 2nd baby due soon and I absolutely love this recipe! Any advice/suggestions? 🙂
This was very easy and yummy. I used uncle ben’s long grain and wild rice mix.
Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s one of our favorites of all time! Thank you for all the time and energy you put into this website for people you may never meet. Bless you!! – Allie 🙂
This is soooo good! we could eat it every night.
My family loves this recipe, and it’s a great freezer meal too. Thank you for posting it.
Found your recipe on Pinterest. Very tasty. I used yellow instead of wild because it’s what I had. Loved the cheese sauce.
Thanks for the feedback Courtney!! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
About to try this recipe… However I was confused if the Wild Rice goes into the recipe totally cooked or not? I realize the white rice is supposed to be done, but wasn’t sure about WIld. Thanks!!
Do you know how the cheese sauce would be with reduced fat cheese. Not sure if it would melt properly, but I’m tying to cut back on fat in my cooking. This llooks like something my husband would enjoy and I look forward to tying it out reduced fat cheese or not.
I make a casserole much like this. I use bell pepper instead of the carrots and add toasted slivered almonds to the top for a little crunch. I also use cooked shrimp or duck meat in place of the chicken. It’s one of those that you take to a pot-luck and don’t bring any home. Delish!
Made this for supper last night – delicious! All I added were peas and corn. 🙂
This is mine and my families favorite freezer meal to make!!! I can’t find the wild rice at TJ’s. Any idea in cups how much it would be?
Love this dish! I want to freeze it this time for freezer meals. Would you freeze after putting it together but before adding cheese topping and cooking?? Thanks so much!
Is the wild rice plain or a
In a box with the seasoning you add?
Can I substitute brown rice for the white rice?
Yes 🙂
This has become one of my favorite dishes to make. Its fairly easy to make and its so yummy.
That rice looks like paddy rice, not real wild rice. You should buy real Ojibwa wild rice, the flavor is so much better!!
This look so yummy, I will try this tonigh,,, tnx gor this look delicious
Recipe, ,
This was fantastic!! I used some rotisserie chicken and only used the wild rice. This is in our regular rotation and I plan to freeze one too. My 3 and 8 year old gobbled it up…the hubby had two bowls…winner winner chicken casserole dinner!!
Thanks Beth!!
This seems like an odd question, but why do you need two kinds of rice?
Hi Brittany,
I am really not sure why the two different rices. I believe it’s just the the taste that they both bring together. I have tried it with just the jasmine rice (it’s what we use) and I have mixed it with the wild rice. I perfer the mixture of the two.
I hope this helps :).
Donna
I just found this recipe and used turkey in place of chicken (had some in the freezer)…it was fabulous. Will now be in my “Best thing to do with left over Thanksgiving Turkey” file. My fam is not crazy about the turkey…but, there were enough other things going on in this recipe, that the turkey wasn’t at the forefront of the flavors….Thank you for sharing!
Thanks TJ!
Chicken cheese and rice casserole – We do not have trader joes – is the cooked wild rice used in the recipe already seasoned or without seasoning? thanks
The rice is not seasoned 🙂
I made this for my family last night 1/5/14. It was amazing! All the wonderful flavors mixed together made this dish perfect. This is a keeper. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Donna
Thanks Donna!
Followed recipe exactly and it turned out great.
Thanks for the comment Linda!