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One Pot Souper Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Rice. Like broccoli cheddar soup meets risotto, but easier, and quicker to make. Similar to a cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole, but made all in one pot rather than a baking dish. This is made entirely in one pot and in under 35 minutes with very minimal prep. Grab some chicken, rice, broken spaghetti pasta, spices, fresh thyme, and fresh broccoli. Cook everything together on the stove, then mix in everyone’s favorite, cheddar cheese. Simple, but SO GOOD, and a dinner we can all love.
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Alrighty, I just returned to Colorado from over a week away. First to New York for work. Then to Miami to celebrate Easter with my family in the warmth and sunshine. It was such a nice trip that ended far too quickly for me.
My family has actually been traveling around as well. Going from Florida to the Caribbean, then back to Florida.
The point here is that we’ve both been doing a lot of traveling. And as you might guess, both of our fridges and pantries are looking a little empty.
We’ve eaten out quite a bit while traveling. So I knew when we all got home last night that dinner needed to be fast.
Thankfully I have a freezer full of already prepared meals, so I just grabbed dinner from there. We had last week’s honey balsamic chicken, then added some rice.
But this recipe is one that would work perfectly on a night like last night, or really any busy weeknight. I always have these ingredients on hand!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Yellow onion
- Salted butter
- Fresh thyme leaves (and any fresh herbs you have on hand like parsley, etc.)
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Basmati rice
- Dry broken spaghetti or orzo
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Broccoli florets
- Whole milk or milk of choice
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Details
This is so great because it’s all cooked on the stove and in one pot. Simple!
Cook the chicken with an onion. Then add a mix of spices: fresh thyme, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Now add the butter, rice, and broken spaghetti pieces. The broken spaghetti (or you can easily use orzo), is kind of the secret here, so I don’t recommend skipping it.
It’s just so good!!
Mix in the broth and broccoli, let the rice cook, then add a bit of milk to make everything creamy.
At this point, I take the pan off the heat and mix in the cheese until very creamy. Top with any fresh herb and serve!
Do you see how simple? We just love this recipe, and it’s a great dinner to keep on rotation. It’s wholesome and comforting, plus a family favorite!
Looking for other easy dinners? Here are some favorites:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Noodle Casserole
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Sheet Pan Sticky Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros with Feta Tzatziki
Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup
Lastly, if you make this Souper Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Rice, 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 or Facebook! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 – 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
- 1/2 cup dry broken spaghetti or orzo
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup whole milk or milk of choice
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot, set over medium heat, combine the olive oil, chicken, and onion. Cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne. Mix in the rice and pasta, cook until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes. 2. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is mostly cooked.3. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the milk. Add the cheese, then remove from the heat. Stir until creamy. Serve warm with additional thyme and black pepper.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
We love this recipe and its a staple in our household. Do you think you can use arborio rice for this recipe?
Hi Stephanie,
Wonderful!!🌴🍍 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! Yes, I think that would work well for you! xx
Can you use Jasmine rice instead of basmati?
Hi Dave,
Sure, that should turn out well for you! Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xx
Tried it and it was delish! Super easy, family loved it!
Hey Dave,
Wonderful!!🌴🍍 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
I’m in grad school and was looking for a quick recipe to make during finals season. This did not disappoint! My boyfriend and I loved it and will be making it regularly
Hey Madison,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that you and your boyfriend enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it:) xT
Probably one of the first meals my toddler finished (two nights in a row!) I’ll definitely make this again 🙂
Love to hear this!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) xx
Easy to make. I made it with brown rice so I cooked the rice a bit before adding the broccoli and orzo. I also didn’t add the chicken to make it vegetarian, which I think next time I do that I would add more seasoning as I think the chicken gives it a lot of flavour.
This was delicious, much better than most chicken and rice dishes that usually end up bland. Only change I made was using chicken thighs which worked great. Will be keeping this recipe!
Hey there,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
Hey Fiona,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
I had to cook it for about twice as long as the directions say, and the rice was still crunchy. Also added at least twice as much liquid… don’t know what I did wrong :/
Hi there,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had some issues. What kind of rice did you use? Let me know how I can help! xT
This was absolutely delicious and the perfect cozy meal on a snowy Sunday. I subbed dried thyme for fresh the chicken flavor was so good. Definitely working this into the rotation!
Hey Dawn,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
This was a super easy recipe! I loved the one pot clean-up and the amazing flavor for so little work. I would have cut my chicken in smaller pieces. Next time, I will add artichokes and sundried tomatoes as the veggie. Thanks HBH!
Hey Julie,
Happy Sunday!! 🍉🍓🫐 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
This looks amazing! Could you sub all rice for the pasta? 🙂
Hey Vanessa,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Do you think I can substitute coconut milk for the milk?
Hey Lindsay,
Sure, that would work well for you! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Solid recipe. Made this after I told the family, “I think we make have to order pizza, I’m running out of time.” I had this meal on the table in 30 minutes and EVERYONE devoured it!! The only substitute I made was spinach for the broccoli because that’s all I had. Thank you!
Hey Ingrid,
Lol love to hear that your family enjoyed this dish, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
This was a great meal. Thank you!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe Lisa! Thanks for making it:) xT
Fantastic! All the things I love, rice, broccoli, cheese and oh, of course, chicken. Tieghan’s recipes have been my go to experiments for awhile now. I followed this exactly and it was so good. It will be in the regular rotation. The honey garlic shrimp from the “everyday” cookbook is also a wonderful, flavorful dish. If it’s full of flavor I am more satisfied, and don’t need snacking later in the evening. The cookbook is a great price on Amazon. Half Baked Harvest Every Day: Recipes for Balanced, Flexible, Feel-Good Meals
Hey Cheryl,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment! Thanks for your kind message and trying so many recipes! Have a great weekend!🌼🌴
Could this be a frozen meal? Would you do anything different?
Hi Kay,
I personally wouldn’t freeze this, I think you run the risk of everything being soggy. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
This was so delicious , Would make and share with guests for sure! So creamy !
Hey Brooke,
Happy Friday!!🌸☀️ I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for trying it and sharing your review! xx
Quick Easy one pot week night dinner the whole family loved.
I had leftover rotisserie chicken I added at the end to just warm up but other than that followed the recipe as written.
Delicious comfort food.
Hey Michelle,
Happy Thursday! So glad to hear that this dish was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xT
What would you add on as a possible side for this? Been eating bagged salads every night which are getting blah!
Hi Lizzie,
I personally don’t feel like this needs a side, maybe some crusty bread? Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
What type of rice do you use?
Hi LuAnn,
For this recipe, I used basmati rice:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
Just in case you don’t have basmati, I just made with arborio and orzo because that is what I had it worked great!
Thanks so much for sharing Vicki!! So glad to hear this worked well for you:) Happy Monday! xT