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Nothing is better (or easier) than this Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole. Kind of like broccoli cheddar soup meets cozy weeknight casserole. It’s healthy…ish, so darn easy, and so darn delicious. The best part…it’s made entirely in one pot and in under an hour. Grab some chicken, rice, orzo pasta, plenty of herbs, and all the broccoli you can snag. Cook everything together on the stove, add sharp cheddar cheese, and finish off in the oven to melt the cheese. Simple, but SO GOOD. The perfect weeknight casserole!
It’s not even September yet and I am already throwing the casseroles at you guys. Yes, it’s true. I’m ready to switch things up. I’m ready for a bit of cozy, and well, I really just hope you all are ready too.
In all seriousness, this really is a perfect recipe for this time of year. The kids are all heading back to school, everyone is slowly coming back from summer vacations, and life is getting busy. Sure, it’s still hot out, but I’m feeling the autumn shift slowly creeping its way in. And with that comes dinner inspiration from my childhood. End of summer and back to school signals the part of my brain that has me thinking easy family dinners, midwest style.
I’m talking casseroles, tacos, slow cooker dinner, and soon enough, soups. Anyone else feel the same or what? It can’t just be me…
Growing up, broccoli cheddar anything was my favorite, but especially the broccoli cheddar soup from Panera bread. My other favorite? My dad’s rice bakes, which he’d make simple with so much broccoli and so much cheddar cheese. They were simple and delicious and I was so into them.
I got to thinking about combining the two together, and just like that, this recipe was formed. It’s not anything crazy creative, but I can assure you, it’s crazy delicious.
Like I said above, kind of like broccoli cheddar soup meets cozy rice casserole. And it’s is GOOD. Not nearly as soupy as soup, but not as heavy as a casserole. It’s got the perfect balance.
It all starts and ends in ONE pot. Or two if you’re like me and decide you want to bake this in a real casserole dish for the “real deal” midwest style casserole situation. I really love setting the mood.
Anyway, start with the basics. Cook your onion, add the chicken, give the chicken some time sear. Then add a touch of butter, some rice, orzo, and fresh thyme. Cook until you’ve got a nice toasty smell going, now add the broth, broccoli, and a few more seasonings. Cover and cook just like you would a normal pot of rice. Once this is finished cooking, stir in just a touch of milk for creaminess (swap in non-dairy milk, if needed), and lemon zest for a pop of freshness.
Top with cheddar cheese and bake until the cheese is melty and the broccoli on top has a little char. Finish with fresh thyme and basil from the garden and dinner is served. Easy, right?
But yet so very good. The rice underneath stays soft and creamy while the cheese on top browns. The corners of the dish will form an insanely delicious, cheesy crust. Every bite is flavor and roll your eyes back good.
If you prefer to go the vegetarian route, simply omit the chicken from the dish. It’s truly just as delicious without or without, so do what works best for you and your family.
This dish brings back all the best memories from when I was a kid, huddled around the kitchen counter, eating chicken noodle casserole with my brothers. Of course, this is a much healthier dinner option, with so much more color than mom’s (super old school) chicken noodle casserole. But all the nostalgia is still there.
And no offense to my mom or dad, but personally I love my vegetable-filled casserole a bit more than their old school version. Sometimes you have to upgrade the classics a bit, you know?
Make this one for family and friends, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love it.
If you make this broccoli cheddar chicken and rice casserole, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch The How To Video:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 744 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups basmati or jasmine rice
- 1/2 cup dry orzo pasta (use gluten free, if needed)
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for topping
- 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 cup whole milk or canned coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrot and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is seared, 2-3 minutes. Add the butter, rice, orzo, and thyme, and cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli, bay leaves, garlic powder, cayenne, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is mostly cooked.3. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the lemon zest, milk, and 1/2 cup of cheese. If needed, transfer the rice to an oven-safe casserole dish. Scatter the remaining cheese over top the casserole. 4. Transfer to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown. Serve warm with additional thyme and fresh basil.
Notes
To Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole through step 3. Let cool, then cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. To bake, remove from the fridge and let sit at room temp while the oven preheats. Bake as directed.
To Freeze: Prepare the casserole through step 3. Let cool, then cover tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 2-3 hours. Bake as directed.
Gluten Free Orzo: I love DeLallo brand gluten free orzo.
Fresh herbs can be hard to come by this time of year, how much dried thyme would you use if substituting? Thanks!!!!
Hey Brynn,
A general rule of thumb is for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs you will want to use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Would you use a 9×11 size baking dish?
Hey Jenna,
Sure, 9×11 or 9×13 would be great to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I find that I have the opposite issue and that for me, the mixture is rather watery when transferring to the casserole dish. I do, however, use 1:1 ratio of wild and white rice and soak it for 15mins prior (soaking liquid not added).
Hi there,
Thanks for sharing your feedback! Let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
I had 2 issues with this recipe. Despite careful measuring of ingredients, 3.5 cups of broth was not sufficient to cook the rice, I used almost double. Also, I’m glad I doubled the spices as this would have turned out bland otherwise.
Hi Sabrina,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you had issues with the rice! What kind did you use? Please let me know if there is any way that I can help! xT
I accidentally posted this with the wrong recipe (sorry!) so will post it again here: This turned out well, although I did add an extra half cup of broth because it was getting pretty dry after 10 minutes on the stovetop and sticking to the pot. The rice/orzo really got burnt on in the oven, so I think next time I’ll bake it in something non-stick. Still, in the end, it was delicious and something I’ll be making again!
Thanks again Helen!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xT
So delicious! It did take a bit longer to prepare than I would like for a weeknight meal, but I might see if I get get frozen pre-chopped onions and carrots next time in order to save prep time. I also did not have basmati or jasmin rice or orzo on hand, so I used some Arborio rice and Israeli couscous that I already had – it turned out great!
Hey Breanne,
Perfect!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for trying it out! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
I doubled this recipe last night and made one to eat/one to freeze. It was delicious and a great comfort meal. Our family is majorly wimpy spiciness, so I will probably do 1/4 tsp of cayenne next time. LOVE the recipe!
**with spiciness
Hey Haley,
I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was enjoyed!❄️ xx
This recipe looks delicious & I’ll definitely be trying it! The recipe calls for some rice & some orzo & I’m wondering if I could just use 2 cups of orzo & still cook it the same? Thank you!! 🙂
Hey Emily,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! Cheers! xT
Delicious!!!
Thanks so much Jeanne!
Top Notch!!! Thanks for always being the dinner time hero! I am obsessed with onion powder so I did match the garlic powder. My socks are on the floor! Thanks again.
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a winner! 🤩
This has become a regular for us. It’s so easy and flexible. We don’t usually have orzo, so we use all rice. We’ve done tuna not chicken. Switched up spices. I’ve also made it exactly as the recipe calls for and I loved it as is!
Hey Kat,
Happy Monday! 👻 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe is always a winner, thanks so much for making it so often! Happy Halloween! 🎃
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Whole family loved it and it was super easy!
Hey Theresa,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was tasty! Have a great weekend:)
I also avoid any commercial, “Cream of … soup.” I did come up with a nurturing alternative. I take all my extra summer squash and zucchini, cubed up with a little onion and garlic and simmer them in water. Once the squash is soft, I puree the squash with an immersion blender and pour the resulting slurry into ice cube trays. Whenever a recipe calls for “Cream of … soup,” I pull out 6 frozen cubes and add the cubes and about a half cup of heavy cream to the recipe and it mimics the “Cream of … soup.” You can fix the cubes and heavy cream on its own for a delicious soup. I think it totally tastes like cream of mushroom but has NO preservatives or junk in it!
Thanks so much for sharing Mary!!
Hi! Just wondering if I could make this in the crock pot?
Hi Caitlyn,
I’ve not tested this in the crockpot, I bet you could give it a try though! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Do you have a suggestion on how to make this with cauliflower rice rather than rice? Would you modify any of the ingredients?
Hey Krista,
So sorry, I have not tried this with cauliflower rice and I really don’t work with it enough to know what adjustments would need to be made. Let me know if you give it a try! xT
Delicious recipe,love the combo of flavors! Thanks
Hi Michelle,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Hi! Excited to try this. Can I substitute regular rice for orzo? Thanks in advance!
Hey Lauren,
You can just follow this recipe for using orzo:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/broccoli-cheddar-orzo-bake/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xT
This is a great recipe, my family enjoyed it. I made one fresh and one for the freezer.
The frozen one did take longer than I expected to thaw: I took it out of the freezer 30 hours before baking and put it in the fridge, let it sit out on the counter for 2 hours before baking, and it still took a full hour to warm through at 425. Anyway no complaints here just wanted to help someone else out if they were thinking of going the freezer route to plan accordingly. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Michelle,
Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan